PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2010,  Official Report, column 862W, on departmental internet, what the cost was of the website redesign.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 9 February 2010,  Official Report, column 888W.

East of England

Andrew Selous: To ask the Prime Minister which constituencies he has visited in the East of England in 2009; and what the date was of each such visit.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 76WS. A list of my UK visits for 2009-10 will be published in the usual way.

Envoys and Special Representatives

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister which  (a) envoys and  (b) special representatives personally appointed by him have (i) resigned and (ii) been dismissed.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the Press Notices issued by my office, which can be found at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-notices
	A current list of Government appointed tsars, envoys, champions and ambassadors has been published on page Ev 41 of the Public Administration Select Committee's Eighth Report of Session 2009-10: Goats and Tsars: Ministerial and other appointments from outside Parliament. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Intelligence Services

Edward Davey: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the  (a) current and  (b) former guidelines issued by his Department to officers of those intelligence services which fall within his responsibilities on interviewing prisoners abroad and on co-operating with interviews conducted by other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The consolidated guidance to intelligence officers and service personnel on standards during the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas will be published shortly. We will not be publishing previous documents.

Reading Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he informed the hon. Member for Reading West of his visit to Reading on 1 March 2010;
	(2)  when he informed Reading borough council of his visit to Reading on 1 March 2010;
	(3)  when he informed Thames Valley police of his visit to Reading on 1 March 2010.

Gordon Brown: For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made a recent assessment of the level of the administrative burden on the agriculture industry.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In DEFRA's recent Simplification Plan 'Simplifying the Business Environment: Driving Burdens Down', published in December 2009, DEFRA reported that it was on target to achieve a 20 per cent. reduction in administrative burdens by May 2010. The report details measures that affect the agriculture industry. Between the simplification measures already implemented and other activities currently in progress, we anticipate DEFRA will meet and may even exceed the 25 per cent. target by May 2010.

Agriculture

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage retailers to purchase domestically-produced agricultural products.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The purchasing decisions of retailers are a commercial matter for them, and EU state aid guidelines on advertising specifically preclude publicly subsidised "Buy British" campaigns.
	However, we recognise the importance of providing consumers with information on a food's production and its provenance to enable them to make informed choices about the food they buy. That is why we have been encouraging retailers to comply with the Food Standard Agency's best practice guide on origin labelling, and recent evidence from the agency has shown that compliance has increased in recent years. More specifically, the Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force which we established bringing together producers, processors, retailers, the food service industry, and a consumer representative has developed a voluntary industry code on the labelling of pork and pork products. This code, which was launched at the National Farmers Union conference last month, covers origin labelling, the use of breed names on labels and product definitions. Support from both the retail and food service sector has been strong.
	Retailers are putting in place policies aimed at sourcing more domestically-produced food and drink products. This in turn provides opportunities for UK farmers to capture a greater market share by becoming more competitive.
	We also appreciate the need to improve our food and drink producers' access to market in order to meet the growing demand for more food with a regional provenance. We have done this by providing funding for a range of measures including "meet the buyer" events with retailers and the encouragement of food hubs and shared distribution facilities.

Biodiversity

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the UK's progress towards reaching the EU target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The European Commission and member states are currently compiling data to allow an assessment of progress against the targets in the EU Biodiversity Action Plan. We measure our progress towards the EU's 2010 target to halt biodiversity loss through the UK Biodiversity Indicators. Progress was reported in the National Statistics publication 'Biodiversity Indicators in Your Pocket 2007', which was updated most recently in April 2009. Statistics for wild birds were updated in October 2009 and those for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are updated monthly.
	Overall, 23 (72 per cent.) of the 32 measures that comprise the UK Biodiversity Indicators are "improving" or show "little or no overall change" since the year 2000. In particular, almost 91.2 per cent. of SSSIs are in favourable or recovering condition, agri-environment schemes are leading to significant improvements, and we have made great strides with the Marine and Coastal Access Act.

Common Agricultural Policy

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to discuss with the devolved administrations his Department's policy on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA have ongoing discussions with the devolved Administrations on a wide range of agricultural issues of shared interest, including the UK's ambitions for the future of the common agriculture policy after 2013.

Dangerous Dogs

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people resident in each local authority area were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (i) between the date of entry into force of the Act and 1997 and (ii) in 2009.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, England and Wales 1991 to 1997 and 2008 (latest available) has been placed in the House Library.
	Court Proceedings data are not available at local authority area level.
	The Ministry of Justice advise that court proceedings data for 2009 are planned for publication in the autumn of 2010.

Departmental Information Officers

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip Northwood of 9 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 924-25W, on departmental information officers, what the  (a) title and  (b) division is of each of the seven embedded communicators working within the business; and on what date each of these positions was first established.

Dan Norris: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Title  Work area  Date established 
			 Stakeholder Engagement Communications Food Chain Programme Summer 2009 
			 Communications manager Public Value Programme Autumn 2009 
			 Communications manager Performance Programme Spring 2009 
			 Communication manager UK location Programme Early 2008 
			 Communications adviser Customer and Citizen insight team Summer 2009 
			 Communication manager Chief Information Officer's team Spring 2008 
			 Segmentation and Consumer Insight Sustainable Behaviours Unit Early 2007

Departmental Public Relations

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of contracts with public relations consultancies was for each non-departmental public body within his Department's remit in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: This information is not held centrally and there is no specific procurement category or account for expenditure with public relations consultancies. To obtain the information for each of the last five years from each non-departmental public body would incur disproportionate cost.

Greater Manchester

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies of his Department and its predecessors since 1997.

Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA and its predecessor's policies implemented in Gorton, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
	Gorton is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
	To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
	To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
	To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
	To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
	To champion sustainable development.
	To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
	To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
	To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
	To be a respected Department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
	DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its public service agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 report is available at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/how/deprep/2009-report.htm
	Past reports are available online in the National Archives.
	For information on a specific DEFRA policy in Gorton, the Government office for the North West is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.

Textiles: Waste Disposal

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of  (a) carpet and  (b) mattresses were sent to landfill in each of the last five years; and what proportion of annual landfill each such figure represents.

Dan Norris: holding answer 12 March 2010
	DEFRA does not hold this information. The Environment Agency publishes data on wastes to landfill from permitted site returns, recorded by the European Waste Code (EWC). The EWC classification does not allow the identification of individual product categories, such as those requested.

Wetlands: Conservation

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons Natural England has declined to consider evidence on damage to the Lymington Marshes RAMSAR site presented by the Lymington River Association; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England has not declined to consider evidence presented by the Lymington River Association on damage to the Lymington Marshes Ramsar site.
	This evidence was presented as part of the Wightlink/Natural England stakeholder engagement exercise which finished on 5 February. Natural England is currently reviewing the points made by all those who responded, and will respond to the Lymington River Association in the next few weeks to enable discussion at a meeting which has already been agreed.

Wildlife: Birds

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department consulted with  (a) the RSPB,  (b) the Hawk and Owl Trust and  (c) other animal welfare groups on its assessment of the European Eagle Owl as an invasive non-native species which should not be introduced into the wild.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Between November 2007 and January 2008, DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government held a public consultation on proposals to review schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ('the Act'), and to ban the sale of certain non-native species, in England in Wales. Schedule 9 lists species which, under section 14 of the Act, are prohibited from being introduced into the wild.
	The European eagle owl was included amongst the species being consulted upon, and on 21 December 2009 the Government announced that it would be added to schedule 9 in April this year.
	This was a general public consultation and organisations directly contacted about it included the RSPB and the Hawk and Owl Trust as well as a number other organisations concerned with animal welfare and conservation. The full list of consultees is available on the DEFRA website.
	As part of the process for collating evidence to support policy decisions on management of invasive species, full risk assessments are being developed for a number of species. When risk assessments (including that for the eagle owl) are published for expert comment, the GB Non-native Species Secretariat notifies all the stakeholders on its database who have shown an interest in invasive non-native species policy. This includes the RSPB and a wide range of other organisations; however the Hawk and Owl Trust is not recorded among the organisations in the database.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on office refurbishments in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The amount spent on office refurbishment is not separately costed or invoiced and could be answered only at disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure on all maintenance and minor works for each financial year since 1999-2000 is shown in the following table. These figures include the cost of refurbishments, fit out of new accommodation, reactive and planned maintenance, health and safety works, repairs to mechanical and electrical systems, and associated professional fees.
	
		
			   £000 
			 1999-2000 1,085 
			 2000-01 1,465 
			 2001-02 2,211 
			 2002-03 2,131 
			 2003-04 2,057 
			 2004-05 2,727 
			 2005-06 2,234 
			 2006-07 2,600 
			 2007-08 1,792 
			 2008-09 2,760

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) disciplinary and  (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in his Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of his Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff.

Paul Goggins: Details for 2009 and 2010 are shown in the following table.
	A breakdown of the information required for the years 2005 to 2008 is not held centrally. We are unable to specify the time taken to complete each type of procedure as this is not recorded.
	
		
			  Number 
			   2009  2010 
			 Disciplinary 67 21 
			 Capability 4 5 
			 Initiated 71 26 
			 Completed 69 21 
			 Dismissal 2 0

Departmental Domestic Visits

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of travel for his staff between England and Northern Ireland was in each of the last six years.

Paul Goggins: The cost of flights and ferries for staff from my Department between England and Northern Ireland in each of the last three years is shown in the following table. We do not have complete information for the other three years.
	Other expenditure associated with travelling between England and Northern Ireland, such as rail or taxi fares to the airport, can be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel by staff is undertaken in line with departmental policy.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 760,184 
			 2007-08 790,947 
			 2006-07 991,808

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1489W, on the Afghan Campaign Medal, whether he has agreed to the proposed change to the criteria for Aero-Medical personnel Afghan campaign medals; and whether the service chiefs have approved the proposed change.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence is aware of the situation regarding Aero-Medical personnel and their eligibility to receive the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. The eligibility of this group and others is currently under active consideration. We hope to reach a conclusion shortly.

Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his speech in Portsmouth on 25 February 2010, what recommendations of a future defence review could lead to the cancellation of the future aircraft carrier programme.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 11 March 2010
	I cannot foresee an outcome of the Strategic Defence Review that could lead to the cancellation of the future carrier programme.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether the armed forces are able to undertake a military operation on the scale and complexity of that undertaken for the Falklands War.

Bob Ainsworth: We take our responsibility to defend the Falkland Islands and the other UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic very seriously indeed. We maintain a permanent garrison in the Falkland Islands in order to deter any aggression and regularly deploy other military assets to the region to demonstrate military capability and political resolve. The level of forces required is reviewed regularly. We retain both the commitment and the capability to defend the UK Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic.

Armed Forces: Drinking Water

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will provide funding for production of the water purification systems ordered by the US administration for deployment in prototype form to Haiti and Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: We have not received any requests from the Haiti or Afghanistan authorities, or from the US administration, for UK funding for production of water purification systems.

Armed Forces: Food

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the nutritional value of food provided to military personnel serving in combat operations abroad.

Bob Ainsworth: The Military Dietary Reference Values published by QinetiQ in 2008 are used as the basis of input for in-barrack feeding in the UK, as the nutritional basis for operational feeding, the future development of operational ration packs, and as a benchmark when assessing the current nutritional value of armed forces feeding.
	As part of the benchmarking process, the Surgeon General-sponsored Armed Forces Feeding Project is conducting an evaluation of the actual food and energy intake, and the efficacy of nutritional education, in trained military personnel while in-barracks and on operations. Gender, ethnic and cultural differences in relation to nutritional requirements, intake and dietary habits will also be investigated. The study is due to report in December 2010.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on education in independent schools for the families of members of the armed forces in each of the last 12 years.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 11 March 2010
	Details are only held for financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09. Financial information for earlier years prior to the implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration System is held on single service legacy systems, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the armed forces, the allowance paid to service personnel to fund the education of their children in independent schools is known as the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA). The purpose of the CEA is to allow children of armed forces personnel to achieve a stable education against a background of frequent parental postings both at home, and overseas.
	In financial year 2007-08, the total cost to the Ministry of Defence was £162,189,373. This includes tax and national insurance on the benefit paid to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs by the Department on behalf of individuals. In financial year 2008-09, the total cost to the MOD was £172,844,735.
	Limits apply in respect of the amount that can be claimed per school term by the service person, and all claims are subject to a parental minimum contribution of 10 per cent. per child, per term.

Armed Forces: Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what other aircraft his Department has with the capability equivalent to a Nimrod MR2 in  (a) co-ordinating major off-shore incidents and multi-agency rescues and  (b) locating vessels that are in distress during adverse weather and low-light conditions.

Bill Rammell: The Aeronautical Air Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (ARCC), based at RAF Kinloss, is responsible for co-ordinating major off-shore incidents and multi-agency rescues. The ARCC works in consort with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, an Executive agency of the Department for Transport, who has a statutory duty under the coastguard Act 1925 for the initiation and co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue within the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Region. All requests for assistance from the other emergency services throughout the United Kingdom-police, fire, ambulance and coastguard-are handled by the ARCC.
	An on the scene co-ordinator may be designated, if required, by the ARCC. If appropriate, this could be an RAF aircraft. All large aircraft are capable of contributing to a search and rescue operation and are equipped with the long and short-range radios required to communicate with the ARCC. The UK has a range of air assets fitted with radars that can be used to support search and rescue tasks in adverse weather and low-light conditions over water. Additionally C-130 and Sea King Mk 3/3A aircraft can carry crew members equipped with night vision goggles.

Armed Forces: Reserve Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of the membership of the  (a) Territorial Army,  (b) Royal Navy Reserve,  (c) Royal Marine Reserve and  (d) Royal Auxiliary Air Force was available for deployment on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Availability for mobilisation is dependent on a number of factors, in particular which section of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 is being used to make a call-out order. Therefore, while reservists may be unavailable for mobilisation under one section of the Act, they will be available under another. This effectively means that nearly all reservists remain available for mobilisation, dependent upon the nature of the operation.

Army: Lost Property

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army weapons have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 30 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 419-20W, to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie).

Army: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit-for-task strength is of each corps of the Army;
	(2)  what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit for task strength of each corps of the Army (i) was in 1997 and (ii) is in 2010.

Bill Rammell: Manning in the Army is currently strong. As at 1 January 2010, the trained strength of the Army, including full-time reserve service personnel, was 101,500, This is the highest figure since 1 January 2006. This good position is due to a greater number of recruits entering training and passing out into the Field Army, coupled with an improvement in retention. While this may be attributed in part to the economic climate, a combination of financial incentives and other retention measures have also had an impact. In September 1998 trained strength was 100,490.
	In the following table "required strength" and "actual strength" figures are shown as "funded liability" and "trained strength" respectively.
	The latest liability figures are as at 1 January 2010. Comparative figures from 1997 are no longer available. The earliest liability data held is as at 1 September 1998.
	1 January 2010 figures have been taken from the Army Personnel Statistics Report (APSR). APSR data is derived from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
	Figures for the Regular Army are as follows:
	
		
			   1 September 1998  1 January 2010 
			  Organisation  Funded liability  Trained strength( 1)  Funded liability  Trained strength( 1) 
			 Staff 687 710 763 840 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 5,954 5,680 5,772 5,880 
			 Royal Artillery 8,605 8,020 7,476 7,610 
			 Royal Engineers 8,564 8,640 9,529 9,480 
			 Royal Signals 9,101 8,210 8,319 7,570 
			 Infantry 27,242 25,020 24,519 24,720 
			 Army Air Corps 1,669 1,540 2,047 2,140 
			 Royal Army Chaplains Department 144 140 148 140 
			 Royal Logistics Corps 16,240 15,360 15,848 15,170 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 2,684 2,460 3,190 3,060 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 10,054 9,780 9,820 9,700 
			  
			  Adjutant General's Corps 
			 Provost (2)6,915 (2)7,090 1,756 1,700 
			 Staff and Personnel Support (2)- (2)- 3,911 3,650 
			 Military Provost Service (2)- (2)- 101 100 
			 Educational and Training Services (2)- (2)- 344 330 
			 Army Legal Services (2)- (2)- 114 120 
			 Unknown(3) (2)- (2)- 0 20 
			  
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 174 130 222 330 
			 Small Arms School Corps 138 140 151 150 
			 Royal Army Dentistry Corps 465 350 380 436 
			 Intelligence Corps 1,191 1,130 1,648 1,470 
			 Army Physical Training Corps 388 390 448 490 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps 870 670 1,136 900 
			 Corps of Army Music 1,177 1,060 901 810 
			 (1 )Trained strength figures are rounded. (2) Indicates brace. (3 )These are trained members of the AGC who, due to data input errors in the JPA system, are not allocated to a sub Regimental Corps. 
		
	
	"Fit for Task" has been interpreted as fit to deploy for any form of duty on deployment, including personnel listed as having limited deployability. Data is calculated from Personnel Unable to Deploy (PUD) which is derived from unit returns and includes Gurkha manpower. As at 1 January 2010, Infantry Fit for Task strength was 20,439. Royal Armoured Corps Fit for Task strength was 4,475. No Fit for Task data is available prior to 2007. Similar figures for other corps are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Academy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part of his Department is to provide the support for operational design presently given by the Defence Academy's Advanced Research and Assessment Group following its closure, with particular reference to operational support for UK intervention in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The Defence Academy's Research and Assessment Branch (R and AB) formally known as Advanced Research and Assessment Group has never provided extensive or critical support to operational design.
	The Ministry of Defence Operations Directorate, which comprises both civilians and military staff, has and will continue to provide advice to Ministers and senior officers and officials within MOD and across Government on strategy and policy for operations. In the case of Afghanistan, the Operations Directorate works closely with other teams both within MOD and across other Government Departments, e.g. Department of International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Cabinet Office, in providing advice.

Departmental Languages

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided.

Kevan Jones: No Ministers have received any coaching in foreign languages over the past 12 months. Information on civil servants is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers.

Bob Ainsworth: The two special advisers in the Ministry of Defence are supported by one full-time civil servant at band C2 level.

Departmental Vetting

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions applications for employment in  (a) the Ministry of Defence and  (b) the Armed Forces have not passed beyond vetting procedures due to (i) suspected al-Qaeda sympathies and (ii) other suspected extremist views in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding information for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Ex-servicemen: Prisoners

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methodology his Department uses to determine the number of veterans in prison in England and Wales.

Kevan Jones: The number of veterans in prison in England and Wales, which has been estimated at just over 2,200, was determined by matching a database of all remand and sentenced prisoners aged 18 and over from the Ministry of Justice, around 81,000 offenders as at November 2009, against a database of Service leavers (Regulars only) from my Department, some 1.3 million records. The variables available for matching were surname, forename, middle name, date of birth and gender.
	The full report of the matching by the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) is available in the Library of the House or the following website:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index .php ?page=48&thiscontent=540&pubType=3&date=2010-01-25&disText=Single%20Report&from=historic&topDate =2010-01-25 &PublishTime=16:00:00

Met Office

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often the Met Office Review Group has met in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: The Operational Efficiency Programme Met Office Review Group has met regularly in undertaking the review in the last 12 months.

Met Office

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's officials next plan to meet the Shareholder Executive to discuss the future of the Met Office.

Kevan Jones: Ministry of Defence officials and the Shareholder Executive meet on a regular basis to discuss the future of the Met Office. The next formal Review Group meeting is due in May 2010.

Met Office

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there have been any changes in membership of the Met Office Review Group since it was established.

Kevan Jones: No. Membership of the Met Office Review Group has remained the same since it was established and comprises of officials from Ministry of Defence, Met Office, Shareholder Executive and HM Treasury.

Met Office: Pay

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Met Office staff are paid more than £100,000 per year.

Kevan Jones: Details of the remuneration of the Met Office's Executive Directors are disclosed in the Remuneration Report in the Met Office Annual Report and Accounts. This shows that in 2008-09, four members of the Executive were paid more than £100,000. Outside of the Executive, no Met Office staff are paid more than £100,000.

Middle East: Navy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will use the assets of the Royal Navy to protect Free Gaza ships in international waters.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 11 March 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ivan Lewis) on 11 March 2010,  Official Report, column 428W.

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the concept design for the Trident successor submarines to be finalised; and what effect the delay in this process will have on the timetable for the delivery of the Trident successor submarines.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 11 March 2010
	We need a few more months to ensure we take design decisions based on robust information. We do not expect this extension of the concept phase to affect the timetable for delivery of the successor submarine.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Employment and Support Allowance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of employment and support allowance who have moved into paid employment in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Specific information on employment and support allowance is not available. However, between October 2003 and April 2009, Pathways has helped over 189,000 people into work.

Pensioner Poverty

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she plans to take to reduce the level of pensioner poverty.

Angela Eagle: We have a good track record.
	Today there are 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty than in 1997. We continue to look at ways to further improve pension credit take up and have taken forward radical reforms which will deliver a fairer, more generous state pension and enable millions more to save for their retirement.

Age Concern: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 76-77W, on the Pension Service: Torbay, whether she plans to provide additional support to Age Concern Torbay to enable it to provide face-to-face advice surgeries.

Angela Eagle: PDCS Local Service is working closely with Age Concern in Torbay in order to offer a range of services to pensioners in the Torbay area. The Age Concern office is an accredited alternative office, which offers customers an alternative channel to access benefits and services.
	PDCS Local Service provides additional support to Age Concern by undertaking regular reviews and delivering training sessions for staff. This enables Age Concern staff to be accredited to accept claims from people aged 60 or over for Social Security benefits, or from a person under age 60 for disability and carers benefits.
	In addition PDCS Local Service accepts referrals directly from Age Concern to undertake home visits to pensioners. Ongoing support with complex cases is also provided.
	The PDCS Local Service manager in the area regularly meets with the manager of Age Concern Torbay to discuss the joint service offering and explore ways in which Local Service and Age Concern can work together in partnership to their mutual benefit to offer access to services in the community.

Carer's Allowance

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will review the requirement that a carer must provide at least 35 hours of care a week to receive the carer's allowance for the purposes of taking into account the work of young carers.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government acknowledged in the revised National Carer Strategy, published in June 2008, that the current system of carers' benefits is not flexible enough to adapt to the wide variety of circumstances, responsibilities and needs that carers face.
	The 10-year strategy has a long-term commitment to review the structure of benefits available to carers in the context of wider benefit reform and the fundamental review of the care and support system.
	It highlighted, as a priority, that children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, and to enjoy positive childhoods. We are committed to young carers having the same access to education, career and life choices as their peers and to enabling and encouraging them to attend and enjoy school and further or higher education.
	The Government's vision for young carers is one where active prevention-protecting young people from falling into inappropriate caring-is the priority and a guiding principle behind the planning and delivery of services to support them and their families.

Carer's Allowance

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the carer's allowance on the standard of living of carers and their dependants.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned the Centre for Research into Care, Labour and Equalities, based at the University of Leeds, to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances of carer's allowance recipients. This involves a survey of 1,600 carers who receive the allowance, followed by in-depth interviews and focus group meetings with 90 individuals, selected as representative of the overall carer's allowance population, as well as discussions with professionals working with these customers. We expect to publish the research in summer 2010.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is also assisting the Department of Health in carrying out a large-scale survey of carers in England. This includes a number of questions designed to yield information about carer's allowance recipients. Headline results are expected in July 2010, with a full report in autumn 2010.
	In addition to carer's allowance, carers on low incomes can also receive a carer premium or additional amount for carers with income-related benefits such as income support and pension credit. The premium has been progressively increased from £14.15 a week in April 2000 to its current level of £29.50.
	We are also providing further help for carers who are able to combine some paid employment with their caring responsibilities by increasing the carer's allowance weekly earnings limit from £95 to £100 in April 2010.

Council Tax Benefits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the monetary value of  (a) claimed and  (b) unclaimed council tax benefit by each client group in 2008-09.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available for the year requested.
	Estimates of the value of claimed and unclaimed council tax benefit are provided in the National Statistics series 'Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up'.
	The latest available report provides information for 2007-08. A copy is available in the Library and online at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/irb.asp
	The report provides the following information in relation to council tax benefit for Great Britain in 2007-08:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Family type  Total amount claimed  Total range unclaimed 
			 Pensioners 2,010 Between 1,240 and 1,690 
			 Couples with children 220 Between 70 and 130 
			 Singles with children 700 Between 30 and 110 
			 Non-pensioners without children 830 Between 180 and 320 
			  Source: National Statistics series 'Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up'

Departmental Buildings

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on office refurbishments in each year since its inception.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department occupies the vast majority of its properties under the terms of a PFI contract for which it pays a unitary charge in return for fully fitted and serviced accommodation. The unitary charge includes works carried out over the life cycle of the accommodation which contain an element of refurbishment that cannot be disaggregated from overall expenditure.
	Some refurbishments are not covered by the unitary charge and are funded separately as capital expenditure, which would include major projects, and the fit out of new buildings. Expenditure increased from 2002 when the Department embarked on a major programme funded by the Treasury to improve the services delivered to the public, including those provided by Jobcentre Plus, the Pension Service and Debt Management Services. The Department's expenditure on these major refurbishment projects since its creation in 2001 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 77.8 
			 2002-03 170.0 
			 2003-04 282.3 
			 2004-05 117.3 
			 2005-06 278.9 
			 2006-07 162.2 
			 2007-08 48.2 
			 2008-09 22.6

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) disciplinary and  (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in her Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of her Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information sought is not available prior to April 2007. Such information as is available for subsequent years is as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Number of staff in respect of whom disciplinary procedures were completed 
			   Number of staff at year end  Discipline procedures completed  Percentage of headcount 
			 2007-08 113,972 903 0.79 
			 2008-09 106,963 1,081 1.01 
			 2009-10(1) 120,944 1,212 1.00 
			 (1 )To end February 2010. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of staff in respect of whom capability procedures were completed 
			   Number of staff at year end  Capability procedures completed  Percentage of headcount 
			 2007-08 113,972 109 0.10 
			 2008-09 106,963 77 0.07 
			 2009-10(1) 120,944 87 0.07 
			 (1) To end February 2010. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of staff dismissed as a result of capability/discipline action 
			   Dismissed on grounds of capability  Percentage of capability procedures undertaken  Dismissed on grounds of discipline  Percentage of disciplinary procedures undertaken 
			 2007-08 17 16 178 20 
			 2008-09 15 19 233 22 
			 2009-10(1) 22 25 300 25 
			 (1 )To end February 2010. 
		
	
	The figures in table 3 do not include staff dismissed for health related reasons.

Departmental Fraud

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department were responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud attributable to such staff  (a) against the benefits system and  (b) in other areas in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 8 February 2010
	 The figures in the following table show the number of staff involved in instances of attempted or actual fraud where the investigation was completed in the year stated. The figures relate to all the benefits administered by DWP, theft of assets and financial irregularities. This analysis is consistent with the way in which the Department reports information on staff investigations to HM Treasury.
	
		
			   Number of staff  
			   Benefit fraud  Other fraud  Total staff in post 
			 2004-05 4 48 126,988 
			 2005-06 52 118 119,972 
			 2006-07 51 93 114,500 
			 2007-08 62 110 107,998 
			 2008-09 42 156 102,374 
		
	
	While recognising that only a very small number of our staff commit fraud, the Department has a robust approach to the detection, prevention and deterrence of staff fraud consistent with HM Treasury guidance. Where fraud is proven, staff are subject to disciplinary action and, in the case of criminal offences, the Department will normally seek to prosecute, engaging the police where necessary.
	The Department has a whistleblowers' hotline to enable staff to report suspicions of fraud.

Departmental Fraud

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the losses from  (a) the benefits system and  (b) other areas attributable to fraud committed by staff of her Department, in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 8 February 2010
	 Information is not available in the exact format requested from 2004 as losses were only broken down into the specified categories from April 2005. Overall totals are therefore provided for 2004-05.
	The following tables contain the estimated losses arising from attempted or actual fraud by staff where the Department's investigation was completed in the year stated (not including the value of the fraud arising from false employment applications where the loss to the Department is notional).
	
		
			   All fraud: Value of loss (£)  DWP total expenditure (£ billion) 
			 2004-05 52,857 118.9 
		
	
	
		
			   Value of loss (£)  
			   Benefit fraud  Other fraud  DWP total expenditure  (£ billion) 
			 2005-06 83,135 109,895 123.6 
			 2006-07 435,452 72,782 126.7 
			 2007-08 346,527 195,151 133.3 
			 2008-09 301,528 216,149 142.7 
		
	
	While recognising that only a very small number of our staff commit fraud, the Department has a robust approach to the detection, prevention and deterrence of staff fraud consistent with HM Treasury guidance. Where fraud is proven, staff are subject to disciplinary action and, in the case of criminal offences, the Department will normally seek to prosecute, engaging the police where necessary.
	The Department has a whistleblowers' hotline to enable staff to report suspicions of fraud.

Departmental Information Officers

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department and its agencies have the status of  (a) embedded communicators or  (b) are members of the Government Communications Network but are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Jonathan R Shaw: The DWP's communications professionals include press office, internal and stakeholder communication, and digital media. They work right across the breadth of the Department's responsibilities and also provide services for Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service and Directgov.
	The work includes communicating with staff, the public, business and stakeholders on the help and support available, eligibility for entitlements, pensions, additional help and support as well as the detailed work on pension reform. The Directgov website provides extensive help and information on the public services available to citizens across national and local government.
	From a total of 119,625 members of staff, DWP has 155 embedded communications staff outside of its central communications function. From 1 April 2010 that will reduce to 119, the majority working for Directgov which is the Government website for public services in the UK. Others work on internal communications in central Directorates and delivery businesses. Staffing figures are provided as Staff in Post figures rather than whole time equivalents as to do otherwise would incur disproportionate cost.
	Government Communications Network (GCN) membership data is not held by individual departments. Therefore accurate information cannot be produced without incurring disproportionate cost.

Employment Schemes: Private Sector

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations she has received on provision of Jobcentre Plus services through the private sector.

Helen Goodman: DWP receives numerous representations from both individuals and organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver a range of welfare to work services. All opportunities to tender for the provision of employment programmes are advertised on the Supplying DWP section of our website. This is to ensure open and fair competition in accordance with public procurement policy and EU regulations. We also have strict criteria for those wishing to apply to deliver services through our Right to Bid procedure.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 1028-29W, on employment schemes: young people, which  (a) Jobcentre Plus districts,  (b) local authorities and  (c) constituencies have no Future Jobs Fund jobs; and in which (i) Jobcentre Plus districts, (ii) local authorities and (iii) constituencies elements of the young person's guarantee are (A) available and (B) not available.

Angela Eagle: Any organisation in England, Scotland and Wales can bid to the Future Jobs Fund. However, details of specific locations where Future Jobs Fund jobs have been created can be obtained only at disproportionate cost at  (a) Jobcentre Plus district and  (b) local authority level. Details of the location of Future Jobs Fund are not broken down by  (c) constituency and are therefore not available.
	The Young Person's Guarantee is available in  (a) all Jobcentre Plus districts,  (b) all local authorities and  (c) all constituencies, since 25 January 2010.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department has taken to obtain the support of businesses for its work to assist young people into employment.

Helen Goodman: The Department has actively sought the support of businesses and other employers to assist young people into employment. Over 920 organisations from business, public sector, and third sector have signed up to the Backing Young Britain campaign to provide more opportunities for young people to gain apprenticeships, jobs and work experience. Over 110,000 jobs have been created by a variety of employers, mainly for long term unemployed young people, through the Future Jobs Fund.
	Many employers have responded by agreeing to work with Government through local employment partnerships, to open up employment and training opportunities to unemployed jobseekers. Over 70,000 employers across the country have recruited through local employment partnerships since they were introduced in 2007, and more than 567,000 people have been helped into work during that time.

Future Jobs Fund

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs have been provided by the Future Jobs Fund in each local authority area; what estimate she has made of the range of administrative charges made by local authorities by the management of the fund; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Details of the availability of the Future Jobs Fund at local authority level can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Job start information can be classified by Jobcentre Plus district level. However, this information would detail which Jobcentre Plus district processed the job, not the actual location of the job itself.
	We did not set specific targets for the costs of administration as we wanted organisations to be free to deliver the jobs fund and to tailor jobs to the needs of the client group. Therefore, the Department for Work and Pensions does not have an estimate of the administrative charges made by local authorities in connection with the Future Jobs Fund. The key specifications are that the jobs should be of a minimum of 25 hours per week; that they should be paid at least at the National Minimum Wage; provide enhanced training and support to the employee, as well as cover other costs incurred in the delivery of the Future Jobs Fund. This is required to be delivered within the maximum unit cost of £6,500 provided by the Government.
	Jobcentre Plus provides administrative support to local authorities and other lead bidders by putting forward suitable candidates to fill Future Jobs Fund vacancies.

Future Jobs Fund

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs have been created under the Future Jobs Fund by  (a) local authorities and  (b) third sector organisations to date.

Angela Eagle: Of the 110,000 Future Jobs Fund jobs we have agreed to fund from the first seven rounds of bidding, there have been 56,000 jobs from bids where a local authority has been the lead bidder and over 41,000 jobs from bids where a third sector organisation has been the lead bidder.
	Other jobs have been created in local authorities and third sector organisations, where these organisations were not the lead bidder. However, the data have not been captured and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Jobcentres: Courier Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on sending customer documents by courier between jobcentres and benefit delivery centres in the last financial year for which figures are available; which courier companies were used; how much was paid to each; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 22 February 2010
	TNT UK Ltd. is DWP's contracted courier provider that delivers a single dedicated network service that is accessed jointly by DWP and HMRC. In 2008-09 DWP courier service expenditure with TNT was £9.5 million.
	Our latest volume information confirms that TNT transport around 13 million items per year for DWP alone-around 11 million standard service (undocumented) where items are not recorded or tracked; and around two million consignments fully tracked (documented) where they are recorded at all stages of their transfer from collection to delivery through the TNT network. DWP has recently moved to a combined DWP/HMRC dedicated courier service which now carries both standard and fully tracked mail. This new service was introduced on 18 January 2010 . This service provides an industry standard and more secure courier service, provide improved value for money and will reduce the risk associated with the transfer of our courier mail.
	Our MI data do not provide specific details of the courier traffic between Jobcentre Plus and Benefit Delivery Centres-although Jobcentre Plus accounts for approximately 90 per cent. of all DWP business courier transfers. However, please note that the level of information available does not detail courier transfers between Jobcentres and Benefit Delivery Centres.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) claimants and  (b) claimants aged 16 to 24 years registered as new claimants in respect of jobseeker's allowance following the completion of their period on the New Deal without finding employment in each year since the inception of the New Deal.

Jim Knight: The available information can be found in tables (a) and (b).
	We are currently in the process of introducing the Flexible New Deal which replaces the existing New Deals with more flexible, tailored support. The Flexible New Deal will be available in most areas of the country by October 2010.
	The small number of people who may finish the Flexible New Deal without finding sustained work, normally at the 24-month point of unemployment, will return to Jobseeker's Allowance at the Supported Work Search stage (Stage 3). This will allow the claimant to make the best use of their experience with the Flexible New Deal provider while being required to actively seek work.
	From November this year, we will also be testing two new types of support for those who finish the Flexible New Deal without finding sustained work.
	In two pilot areas-Greater Manchester and Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire-people who complete Flexible New Deal without securing employment will undertake either the Work for Your Benefit programme or the Jobcentre Plus based Enhanced Support Period.
	Work for Your Benefit is a programme of full-time work experience backed with additional employment support for up to six months. This is designed to help them to build up their work habits and gain practical experience which will be of value to themselves and to employers.
	In addition, a new Jobcentre Plus based Enhanced Support Period will deliver more intensive one to one adviser support backed up with a ring fenced Personal Support Fund of £500 per person.
	
		
			  Table (a): New deal: leavers and leavers to jobseeker's allowance: time series-year of leaving 
			  As at May:  Total leavers  Leavers to jobseeker's allowance 
			 1998 79,790 3,250 
			 1999 200,500 25,050 
			 2000 202,510 27,670 
			 2001 217,330 27,650 
			 2002 272,340 49,800 
			 2003 286,980 56,020 
			 2004 268,870 48,580 
			 2005 244,320 52,530 
			 2006 264,580 58,610 
			 2007 314,700 70,040 
			 2008 276,300 71,300 
			 2009 134,170 47,060 
			 Total 2,762,370 537,550 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (b): New deal for young people-leavers (spells): immediate destination on leaving by time series-year of leaving 
			  As at May:  Total leavers from new deal for young people  Leavers to jobseeker's allowance 
			 1998 79,790 3,250 
			 1999 200,500 25,050 
			 2000 202,510 27,670 
			 2001 179,720 21,970 
			 2002 168,370 20,050 
			 2003 174,040 21,030 
			 2004 169,190 20,900 
			 2005 153,570 24,320 
			 2006 176,300 28,880 
			 2007 194,120 32,810 
			 2008 159,260 29,930 
			 2009 87,390 25,360 
			 Total 1,944,760 281,210 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. Total leavers in table (a) include leavers from New Deal for Partners, New Deal for 25 Plus and New Deal for Young People. 3. Table (a) does not include New Deal for Disabled People, New Deal for Lone Parents and New Deal for 50 Plus for which leavers data is not available. 4. Year of leaving is the calendar year of leaving New Deal. 5. Immediate destination is measured within two weeks of leaving New Deal, using information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 6. Latest data is to May 2009. 7. The measure used for New Deal for Partners is Leavers (individuals) as spells are not available. 8. The New Deal for Young People pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998. 9. The New Deal for 25 Plus programme was introduced in July 1998. 10. Data for New Deal for Partners is available from April 2004 (programme started in May 1999).  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Oil: Storage

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reports she has received on alternatives to oil storage tanks at the Oikos site in Haven Road, Canvey; what representations she has received from the Health and Safety Executive on such alternatives; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 11 March 2010
	The Secretary of State has received no reports on alternatives to oil storage tanks at the Oikos site on Canvey Island or representations from the Health and Safety Executive on such matters.
	Consent for the storage of hazardous chemicals at this site, or any alternative sites, is the responsibility of the local planning authority, which for Canvey Island is Castle Point borough council.
	HSE's role is to monitor safety at this site. HSE will continue to do this and will assess any significant changes made to the site and to the site's COMAH safety report as a result of any changes that Oikos may propose.

Oil: Storage

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of possible risks to local residents and businesses from the operation of the Oikos Canvey Island site.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 22 March 2010
	Oikos Oil Storage Ltd. are responsible under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (as amended) for assessing any risks to local residents and businesses from the operations at their Canvey Island site, and for implementing all necessary measures to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences for people and the environment.
	Oikos Oil Storage Ltd. has an existing Hazardous Substances Consent from Castle Point borough council to store at its Canvey island site up to 232,501 tonnes of highly flammable liquids which may include petrol and petroleum mixtures. When the consent was granted in 1992, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) assessed the risks to people off-site from the consented quantity of hazardous substances for the purpose of providing land use planning advice to the borough council. A more detailed assessment was conducted in 2002 to set the current land use planning zones around the site.
	Following the explosion and fire at the Buncefield fuel storage terminal, HSE introduced precautionary arrangements to strengthen development controls in the areas closest to sites engaged in filling large storage tanks with petrol at a specified rate.
	Petrol is not currently stored at the Oikos Canvey Island site. HSE will review its risk assessment and, if necessary, revise its land use planning advice to Castle Point borough council once Oikos Oil Storage Ltd. provides details of its arrangements for receiving and storing petrol at the site.

Personal Accounts Delivery Authority

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information her Department holds on the number of jobs under the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority contract for scheme administration services to be based in  (a) the UK and  (b) each other country.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 9 March 2010
	Staffing numbers required to administer NEST on an ongoing basis will depend upon the number of scheme members.
	All the public facing elements of service provision are due to be carried-out by staff based in the UK. Back-office, administrative processing and IT functions are due to be delivered in India. Once fully established, we estimate that between 40 and 45 per cent. of staff will be based in the UK.

Poverty

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those aged 16 to 24 years old were classed as living in poverty in each financial year since 1996-97.

Helen Goodman: In response to the recession, the Government have put in place significant additional support for young people through the Young Person's Guarantee and Backing Young Britain campaign. In December 2009, we published 'Investing in Potential', the cross-Government strategy to increase the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds in education, employment and training.
	For young people claiming jobseeker's allowance the New Deal has helped almost 900,000 people into work. Independent evaluation found that without New Deal, there would be twice as many young people claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more than at present.
	The requested information is given in the following table, for periods where data are available.
	
		
			  16 to 24-year-olds living in households with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			   Before housing costs 
			   Million  Percentage 
			  Great Britain   
			 1996-97 1.2 19 
			 1997-98 1.1 18 
			 1998-99 1.0 17 
			 1999-2000 1.1 19 
			 2000-01 1.1 18 
			 2001-02 1.1 18 
			
			  United Kingdom   
			 2002-03 1.2 18 
			 2003-04 1.1 18 
			 2004-05 1.2 17 
			 2005-06 1.4 20 
			 2006-07 1.3 18 
			 2007-08 1.4 19 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. Both of these documents are available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. 4. Figures are for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are for Great Britain only, as such there is a slight discontinuity between the figures pre-and post-2002-03. 5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 6. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) equivalisation factors. 7. Number and percent of 16 to 24-year-olds in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand individuals, or whole percentage point respectively.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what criteria recipients of  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) attendance allowance under special rules are required to meet;
	(2)  whether recipients of  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) attendance allowance under special rules are required to qualify for support through the social care system in order to be eligible to claim each benefit.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Special Rules provision applies to individuals who are in the last stages of a progressive disease and who are expected to die within six months. The individual's GP or other health care professional submits a medical report to the Department confirming the diagnosis. Those who meet this criterion do not need to serve the normal qualifying periods for attendance allowance and disability living allowance before receiving benefit assistance. There is no requirement to qualify for support though the social care system in order to be eligible to claim these benefits.

Social Security Benefits: Parents

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding her Department has allocated to increase access to  (a) benefits and  (b) back-to-work schemes for low-paid and unemployed adults with children in 2009-10.

Helen Goodman: The Budget 2008 introduced the Child Poverty pilots, which are jointly funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Work and Pensions. For 2009-10, the Department for Work and Pensions contribution is £9.7 million.
	One of the objectives of the pilots is to look at new and innovative ways to support parents into and to remain in work, as well as helping those out of work. The pilots include outreach work for Jobcentre Plus around Children's Centres and schools, as well as providing help back into work for those with younger children.
	These are in addition to mandatory and voluntary programmes such as jobseeker's allowance, Flexible New Deal and the New Deals for Lone Parents and Partners, active labour market interventions such as Lone Parent Obligations and Progression to Work and infrastructure measures such as child care investment. Financial support may also be available including working tax credit aimed at ensuring that work pays and In Work Credit to help make the transition into work.
	From October 2010 the Department of Work and Pensions will be implementing an enhanced Better off in Work Credit so that everyone who has been unemployed for 26 weeks or more will receive an income of at least £40 a week more on moving into work. The credit is expected to be available nationally from January 2011.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many 18 to 25-year-olds are claiming jobseeker's allowance or other benefits.

Helen Goodman: As at August 2009, there were 988,780 young people aged 18 to 25 claiming DWP-administered benefits in Great Britain, of which 491,060 were claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Unemployment Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment she has made of the effect on benefit claimants of the period between which they move into work and have their benefit stopped and their first payment from their employer; what steps she is planning to take to help deal with this issue for benefit claimants; and whether she has considered allowing providers more flexibility to cover this gap using their service fee.

Jim Knight: We keep the transition of claimants from benefits to employment under regular review and have put in place a number of schemes that give people extra financial support on returning to work. For example, we introduced the job grant to specifically help customers who move into work manage until they receive their wages. It provides eligible customers a non-taxable payment of £100 for single people and couples without children, and £250 for lone parents and couples with children. In addition, housing costs are paid for four weeks after returning to work to customers who have been on income support or jobseeker's allowance for 26 weeks or more. As benefits are generally paid two weeks in arrears, this goes some way to filling any gap before payment of first wages.
	For all customers leaving jobseeker's allowance for work, Jobcentre Plus staff can help them make claims to working tax credit using a special fast track procedure, which means that in many cases tax credit is paid in advance of first wages. As a last resort, in cases of very urgent financial need, customers can apply for interest-free crisis loans from the social fund.
	Flexible New Deal providers already have the flexibility to use their service fee to provide help and support tailored to the needs of each jobseeker's allowance customer, to enable them to move into and stay in work.

Unemployment Benefits: Medical Examinations

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people claiming  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) employment and support allowance attended a medical assessment in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of people who made a successful claim for  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) employment and support allowance attended a medical assessment in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: Incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance customers are not medically assessed by the Department, they are assessed to determine their functional capability. All claims must be assessed in order to qualify for continued entitlement. Information on the number of initial awards following these assessments is not available. The available information for incapacity benefit is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit scrutiny and completed examinations, Great Britain 
			   Number 
			 September 2005 to August 2006 816,043 
			 September 2006 to August 2007 985,598 
			 September 2007 to August 2008 1,068,920 
			 September 2008 to August 2009 717,250 
			 September to December 2009 140,423 
			  Notes:  1. Management Information held by the Department does not separately identify Personal Capability Assessments in respect of initial claims to benefit, as all referrals were in respect of customers in receipt of incapacity benefit.  2. Excludes Work Focused Health Related Assessments.  3. Data relate to the number of completed medical examinations and paper scrutiny clearances completed by Atos Healthcare.   Source:  DWP medical services contract management information. 
		
	
	For employment and support allowance claims we have data on claims from the introduction of employment and support allowance on 27 October 2008 to May 2009. The main data relating to Work Capability Assessment claims is published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_19012010.pdf
	A copy of this report has also been placed in the Library.

Winter Fuel Payments: British Nationals Abroad

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many winter fuel payments were made to persons living outside the UK in 1996-97; and what estimate she has made of the number of winter fuel payments made to persons living in  (a) Spain,  (b) Italy,  (c) Greece, (d) Portugal and  (e) other countries outside the UK in the last financial year.

Angela Eagle: Winter fuel payments were first introduced in winter 1997-98 and paid to eligible people living in the United Kingdom (UK).
	Since 2002 winter fuel payments have been made to eligible former UK residents living elsewhere in the European Economic Area or Switzerland provided they qualified for a winter fuel payment before leaving the UK. Under European Union law some benefits acquired in one member state must be paid to people who live outside that state but within the European Economic Area. Winter fuel payments are one of these benefits and the UK is bound by European Union law.
	Information for winter 2008-09 (the last year for which information is available) is in the following table.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments (WFPs) paid to people living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland outside UK 
			  WFPs by country  2008-09 
			 Spain 31,145 
			 Italy 1,114 
			 Greece 1,111 
			 Portugal 1,510 
			 Other countries within the EEA and Switzerland 30,409 
			  Note: The figures are for automated payments which account for the great majority of payments made.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers have been convicted of an offence of persistent sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years in each year since 2006.

Alan Johnson: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts of an offence of persistent sale of alcohol to a person less than 18 years, England and Wales can be viewed in the following table. Data are only available for 2008, when the offence came into force. Court proceedings data for 2009 are due to be published in autumn 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants convicted of an offence of persistently sale of alcohol to a person less than 18 years, 2006 to 2008( 1,2) 
			  Offence  2006  2007  2008( 3) 
			 Persistently selling alcohol to children Licensing Act 2003 as added by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 S.147A * * 7 
			 '*' = Not applicable-the Act came into force in 2008. (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes convictions data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 26 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1204-5W, on crime, how many incidents related to public safety/welfare were recorded in each category in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many incidents with the qualifier hate/discrimination were recorded in each category in 2008-09;
	(3)  how many incidents relating to administration were recorded in each category in 2008-09;
	(4)  how many incidents with the qualifier  (a) alcohol,  (b) critical incident,  (c) domestic abuse,  (d) drugs,  (e) firearms,  (f) weapons,  (g) youth-related aged under 10 and (h) youth-related aged 10 to 17 were recorded in 2008-09.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 2010
	The number of incidents recorded by police forces in each category classified as public safety/welfare as defined within the National Incident Category List (NICL) for 2008-9 is attached in Table A. The data are normally for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply to National Statistics publications. They are provisional and may be subject to change. The data represent calls for service as recorded by police forces under the relevant categories and may be subject to local variation in reporting and classifying.
	A reliable figure for incidents with the qualifier hate/discrimination for England and Wales is not available. More than 10 per cent. of police forces were not able to return qualifier data for 2008-09(1). The data are normally for management information only.
	The administration data categories are for local management purposes only and were not required from police forces for the Annual Data Return in 2009. The Home Office continues to review the data required from police forces and to balance user needs against burdens on police forces.
	A reliable England and Wales figure for incidents with the qualifiers requested is not available. More than 10 per cent. of police forces were not able to return qualifier data for 2008-09(1). The data are normally for management information only.
	(1) It was only mandatory for police forces to return data until June 2009.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of incidents in each category classified as public safety/welfare as defined within the National Incident Category List (NICL) in 2008- 0 9 
			  Category  Total 
			 Abandoned Call 500,613 
			 Absconder/AWOL 4,903 
			 Alarm: Monitoring Station-False-Active 194,294 
			 Alarm: Monitoring Station-False-Withdrawn 8,894 
			 Alarm: Police Installed 19,752 
			 Alarm: Premises Audible only 106,117 
			 Breach of Injunction/Court Order 4,974 
			 Civil Disputes 185,887 
			 Collapse/Illness/Injury/Trapped 142,810 
			 Concern for Safety 899,449 
			 Domestic Incident 583,537 
			 Firearms 23,187 
			 Immigration 9,561 
			 Industrial Incident/Accident 3,886 
			 Insecure Premises/Vehicles 35,781 
			 Licensing 7,905 
			 Missing Person-High Risk 39,549 
			 Missing Person-Medium Risk 122,493 
			 Missing Person-Low Risk 40,703 
			 Missing Person-Unauthorised Absence 37,599 
			 Natural Disaster/Incident/Warning 5,484 
			 Pets/Domesticated Animals 50,824 
			 Protest/Demonstration 2,228 
			 Sudden Death 75,728 
			 Suspicious Circumstances 1,324,821 
			 Suspicious Package/Object 9,260 
			 Truancy 2,606 
			 Wildlife 15,204 
			   
			 Public Safety/Welfare Total 4,458,049

Crime Prevention: Retail Trade

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with shopkeepers and representatives of small businesses to identify methods of enhancing the security and safety of their properties and staff.

Alan Campbell: I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which was set up by the Home Office in partnership with the British Retail Consortium in 2007. The NRCSG provides a forum for representatives from Government, law enforcement agencies, the larger retailers and business and trade organisations such the Association of Convenience Stores and Federation of Small Businesses to discuss and devise strategies for tackling crimes of concern to retailers and includes addressing the security and safety of staff and premises.
	The NRCSG published a joint Retail Crime Action Plan which details a range of work to tackle crime. For details of the plan see:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/retail-crime-action-plan.html
	Both the Home Office and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) fully support USDAW 's Freedom from Fear campaign to promote the safety and well-being of shop workers. We are working with the HSE to help reduce the incidence of work-related violence in the retail sector. In October 2008, the HSE published a toolkit to help employers cut the risk of violence against shop workers. The toolkit provides practical advice on how to conduct a risk assessment and how to take action to prevent or control work-related violence. It contains information on a wide range of possible control measures and good practice that other businesses have found effective.

Crime Prevention: Retail Trade

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with representatives of the security industry on the provision of cheaper and more up-to-date security systems for shops and small business premises.

Alan Campbell: I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG), which provides a forum for representatives from Government, law enforcement agencies, the larger retailers and business and trade organisations such the Association of Convenience Stores and Federation of Small Businesses to discuss and devise strategies for tackling crimes of concern to retailers.
	My advice on security systems and equipment is provided by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch which is a key member of the NRCSG. They are preparing a CCTV standards leaflet for small shops and for licensed premises to contain all the basic information on what to expect from a CCTV system, and provides a list of key requirements such as minimum image quality, recording, camera placement.
	We are currently distributing the Small Retailers Capital Grants Fund which is designed to help fight crime and is being allocated to around 1,000 small retailers in 50 priority areas across England and Wales. The grants are being used for a variety of purposes including purchasing security equipment for individual retailers such as CCTV; infrared security cameras; security shutters and rollers; safes; alarms; anti-fraud equipment such as UV markers to detect counterfeit notes, and anti-graffiti paint.

Crimes of Violence

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of  (a) violent crime and  (b) serious violent crime there were in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: The term 'violent crime' is no longer used. Data are supplied for violence against the person offences. The requested information is shown in the table. Recorded crime statistics at constituency level are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offences of violence against the person recorded by the police, 1997 
			   Number 
			 South Tyneside CDRP (1)- 
			 North-east region 9,242 
			 England and Wales 250,882 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences of violence against the person recorded by the police, 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			  Number 
			  Offence  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 South Tyneside CDRP (1)- (1)- (1)- 1,686 
			 North-east region 20,391 21,984 21,086 25,579 
			 England and Wales 502,778 581,034 600,913 650,326 
			 (1) Not available.   Notes:  1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997.  2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Offences of violence against the person recorded by the police, 2002-03 to 2008-09 
			  Number 
			   South Tyneside CDRP  North-east region  England and Wales( 1) 
			 2002-03 2,568 39,164 845,078 
			 2003-04 2,500 40,561 967,228 
			 2004-05 2,252 41,537 1,048,095 
			 2005-06 2,637 46,206 1,059,583 
			 2006-07 2,711 48,194 1,046,167 
			 2007-08 2,289 41,085 961,099 
			 2008-09 2,023 37,244 903,442 
			 (1) Includes British Transport police from 2002-03.   Note:  The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Identity Cards: Procurement

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid to each management consultancy for client-side advice in relation to the Identity and Passport service National Identity Scheme Procurement programme; how much time was taken  (a) to complete the pre-procurement process and  (b) between issue of prior indicative notice and the award of contracts; what the value was of each contract awarded; what requirements there were on bidders in respect of the presentation of their bids; and how many submissions bidders were required to make.

Meg Hillier: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The information is not held in a format easily available to answer the question. The external consultancy cost relating to projects for both passport and identity card projects were approximately £16 million in 2007-08 and approximately £40 million in 2008-09 as published in the agency's annual report and accounts. Costs for external consultancy in 2009-10 will be published in the IPS annual report and accounts for 2009-10.
	 (b) It took eight months to create the Strategic Supplier Group Framework from which the Transforming Customer Experience, National Identity Assurance Service (NIAS) and the Critical Workers Identity Card (CWIC) contracts were awarded. For the Passport Book Design Production contract the pre-procurement process was eight months.
	No Prior Indicative Notices were published in relation to the award of the Strategic Supplier Framework Contract or the National Identity Service contracts let from the Framework.
	The values of the contract awarded are-Transforming Customer Experience (TCE) £385 million, National Identity Assurance Service (NIAS) £265 million, Critical Workers Identity Cards (CWIC) £18 million and Passport Design Production (PDP) £400 million.
	Dialogue sessions were held with bidders to help inform the finalisation of the requirements and to help the bidders understand the agency's needs. Formal presentations were made to senior officials.
	The number of submissions that bidders were required to make were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 TCE 3 
			 NIAS 2 
			 CWIC 1 
			 PDP 2

Motor Vehicles: Seized Articles

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars were seized by Lancashire Constabulary for  (a) crushing and  (b) other means of disposal in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 12 March 2010
	The police are empowered to remove and store vehicles under various provisions, in particular the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (vehicles illegally, obstructively or dangerously parked or broken down or abandoned), the Road Traffic Act 1988 (vehicles driven without appropriate licence or insurance) and the Police Reform Act 2002 (vehicles causing alarm, distress or annoyance).
	The police must return these vehicles on payment of prescribed charges and satisfaction of any other prescribed conditions. If payment is not made or relevant conditions are not satisfied, the police may dispose of the vehicle concerned as they consider most appropriate, usually by crushing or sale. Information on the numbers of vehicles removed under the different powers and what subsequently happens to each of them is not collected centrally.

Motor Vehicles: Seized Articles

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was raised from  (a) crushing and  (b) other means of disposal of cars in (i) Lancashire and (ii) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 12 March 2010
	Any vehicle seized by the police can be reclaimed on payment of charges prescribed by statute to meet police costs and on satisfaction of any other prescribed requirements. If a vehicle is not reclaimed, the police may dispose of it as they consider appropriate. Any proceeds of the disposal are used to meet the prescribed charges; any surplus is returned to the owner. Information is not collected centrally on these transactions.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010,  Official Report, column 817W, on the National Identity Register, what the estimated total monetary value is of contracts in each of the framework agreements.

Meg Hillier: The suppliers that comprise the IPS Strategic Supplier Framework agreement for the National Identity Service (NIS) are: Computer Sciences Limited (CSC), Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Fujitsu Services Ltd. (Fujitsu) IBM United Kingdom (IBM) and Thales UK Ltd. (Thales). IPS signed contracts with three out of these five suppliers for the delivery of the NIS. They are Thales, CSC and IBM. The breakdown is as follows:
	 Thales UK Ltd .
	Thales UK Ltd. was awarded a contract in July 2008 for the technology and process for the early releases of the NIS which is worth £18 million. It has been awarded for four years with four successive 6-month options to extend.
	 CSC
	CSC was awarded a contract in April 2009 for the Application and Enrolment of passports and Identity (ID) Cards which is worth £385 million. The contract is awarded for a period of 10 years.
	 IBM
	IBM was awarded a contract in May 2009 to operate the biometric database for passports and to support ID Cards, which is worth £265 million. The contract is awarded for a period of seven years with one three-year option to extend.
	Each of the above values exclude any subsequent contract variations.

TRANSPORT

Cycling: Safety

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what priority his Department gives to increasing safety for cyclists;
	(2)  if he will arrange a press conference to publicise the report commissioned by his Department on the potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury;
	(3)  what the cost to his Department was of publishing the report on the potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury; and to whom and by what means it was distributed;
	(4)  if he will bring forward proposals to make it compulsory for children aged 14 years and under to wear cycle helmets when cycling on the public highway;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) lives that could be saved and  (b) serious injuries that could be prevented if the wearing of cycle helmets by children when cycling on public highway was made compulsory, as recommended by the recent report commissioned by his Department, The potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury.

Paul Clark: holding answer 12 March 2010
	The Department for Transport's proposals for policies to improve road safety for all road users, including cyclists, were set out in our consultation paper "A Safer Way: Consultation on Making Britain's Roads the Safest in the World", which was published in April 2009.
	The Government want to see more people cycling, while at the same time minimising the risks of cycling. There are a number of initiatives under way at present, aimed at improving cycle safety. These include:
	promoting bikeability cycle training for children;
	using the Highway Code and the Think! road safety campaign to provide advice to child and adult cyclists on safe road use, including use of protective equipment such as high visibility clothing and cycle helmets;
	providing more safe cycle routes to schools and other locations;
	providing guidance to local authorities on the design of safer road infrastructure, including effective cycle-specific measures, as well as more general measures that benefit all road users, such as 20 mph zones;
	improving motor vehicle driver testing and training;
	enacting new measures on lorry mirrors to improve the visibility of cyclists and pedestrians.
	There are no plans to arrange a press conference in respect of the report commissioned by this Department on the potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury. The Department publishes numerous reports throughout the year and it is not usual practice to facilitate a press conference for each report's publication.
	The total cost of the research programme on Road Safety and Cycling is £527,719 excluding VAT. The report on cycle helmets was published by TRL on 15 December 2009 alongside a report providing an understanding of the key causes of collisions involving cyclists. Research findings for both reports are available to download from the Department for Transport website and direct links to the full reports, which are free to download from TRL's website, are provided.
	Pre-publication copies of the reports were sent to the road safety and cycling research project's advisory group a week before publication. This group is made up of a wide range of road safety, health, and cycling interest groups. An e-mail link was sent to the advisory group and a wider group of stakeholders on the day of publication.
	TRL's research confirms conclusions from earlier work showing that cycle helmets can help to protect cyclists in the event of a collision. That is why the Department for Transport encourages cyclists-especially children-to wear helmets when cycling.
	However, the Department has no plans to introduce legislation to make cycle helmets compulsory for children or for adults. Taking into account the practicalities of enforcing such an offence-particularly among children-as well as the possible impact on levels of cycling and the potential loss of wider health benefits, the Department is not persuaded that making helmets mandatory is the right option.
	TRL's research project estimated that between 10 and 16 per cent. of cyclist fatalities with a certain type of head injury could have been prevented if they had worn an appropriate cycle helmet. This estimate is based on an assessment of cyclist fatality reports and includes both adults and children. It is not possible to use this to estimate specific casualty savings for children.
	The Department for Transport's statistics show that a total of 12 cyclists aged 15 or under were killed in road accidents in Great Britain in 2008. The statistics do not show how many of these were due to head injuries, or how many were, or were not, wearing cycle helmets.
	TRL's research also found that of the on-road serious cyclist casualties admitted to hospital in England, 10 per cent. suffered injuries of a type and to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented. 405 child cyclists aged 0 to 15 were recorded as seriously injured in road accidents in Great Britain in 2008, although this definition of serious injury includes a much wider range of injuries that were not sufficiently serious to lead to admission to hospital.
	The report also found that a further 20 per cent. of cyclists admitted to hospital suffered 'open wounds to the head', some of which are likely to have been to a part of the head that a cycle helmet may have mitigated or prevented.

Departmental Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many of his Department's staff  (a) are seconded to BAA and  (b) were so seconded in each of the last five years; what the roles were of such personnel; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's records indicate that no staff are currently seconded to BAA. One member of staff was seconded to BAA for 10 months in 2005. His role was to plan and deliver BAA's surface transport strategy for Heathrow airport. No other staff have been seconded to BAA in the last five years.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers.

Chris Mole: Two civil servants support the special advisers-one at EO grade, one at HEO grade. Both provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans his Department has to consult trade unions when considering the funding and spending priorities of his Department for 2009-14.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport uses the Whitley system as the framework for negotiation, consultation and exchanges of views and information. If the trade unions wish to discuss the funding and spending priorities for the Department, this is the framework for doing so.

Derby-Manchester Railway Line

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will assess the effect of reopening the Derby to Manchester rail line to passenger rail traffic; and what recent discussions he has had with the Peak District National Park Authority in respect of their plan to open up closed tunnels to cyclists.

Chris Mole: A full assessment of re-opening the Matlock to Buxton and Chinley section of the Derby to Manchester rail line was carried out in 2004 by the Strategic Rail Authority and Derbyshire county council. It concluded that re-opening would costs between £84 million and £123 million. None of the options considered offered value for money and services under all options would require ongoing subsidy.
	We have been in discussions with the Peak District National Park about their plans to improve facilities for cyclists, including the opening and upgrading of some routes through tunnels. We have agreed to provide funding to contribute to this project as part of Cycling England's Finding New Solutions-the Role of Leisure programme.

First Capital Connect: Fixed Penalties

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on how many occasions First Capital Connect has been issued with a financial penalty for not providing enough seats for rail passengers in each of the last six months.

Chris Mole: holding answer 10 March 2010
	 No financial penalty for not providing enough seats for rail passengers has been issued to First Capital Connect in the last six months.
	The Department for Transport is currently working with First Capital Connect to alleviate overcrowding of short formation trains by introducing more coaches to lengthen trains.

Greater Manchester

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies of his Department and its predecessors policies since 1997.

Sadiq Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from my Department for transport investment in the City of Manchester, within which transport authority the Gorton constituency falls, has more than doubled over the last decade.
	Investment in Greater Manchester's Joint Local Transport Plan, to which Manchester city council is a partner authority, has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2004 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 7 per cent. and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 28 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
	In May 2004, Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) launched the Local Link flexible transport service in Gorton, Beswick and Openshaw, following a successful bid for £788,400 to the Department's Urban Bus Challenge fund. Local Link is a fully accessible demand-responsive bus service which provides access to health, education, retail and leisure facilities throughout the area seven days a week. In August 2004, an additional vehicle was allocated to the service due to exceptionally high demand.
	It was announced in July 2006 that the Department had approved Greater Manchester ITA's major scheme business case for the £575 million Manchester Metrolink Phase 3a expansion. The project will expand the existing Metrolink network to Droylsden, Rochdale and Chorlton. The 3.9 mile extension to Droylsden will provide high quality public transport links between areas of deprivation in East Manchester and the major employment and leisure sites at Manchester Piccadilly and the City of Manchester Stadium. It is anticipated that construction of the Droylsden extension will be completed in spring 2012.
	In 2009, the Greater Manchester ITA submitted a successful bid to the Department's Green Bus Fund. The £3.1 million award will support the purchase of 66 low carbon vehicles, including a fleet of 20 diesel-electric hybrid buses to operate Metroshuttle services in Manchester City Centre, 16 hybrid Yellow School Buses, and 30 hybrid single deck vehicles for use on subsidised services in the city.

Kemble-Swindon Railway Line

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 456-7W, on the Kemble-Swindon railway line, whether the discussions with Network Rail on re-doubling of the Swindon-Kemble railway line have been concluded; and when he expects to make an announcement on their outcomes.

Chris Mole: holding answer 12 March 2010
	At present, Network Rail quotes a cost of £52.4 million for the redoubling of the Swindon-Kemble section of route. Officials in the Department for Transport are working with Network Rail to determine and agree ways in which this cost can be reduced to a level at, or within, the budget of £45 million available from the south-west region.
	A number of opportunities have been found that could potentially lead to savings being achieved, but these will take some weeks to resolve. I will make an announcement in due course.

Railways: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he made of the number of passengers who began journeys at York railway station in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate he made of the number of passengers who travelled by train between York and  (a) London,  (b) Leeds and  (c) Scotland in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
	Statistics on individual station usage, journey and revenue information by three sectors of operators, "Long Distance", "London and South East", and "Regional" can be found in "National Rail Trends", published by the Office of Rail Regulation on a quarterly basis, at
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529

Railways: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many trains a day ran between York and  (a) London,  (b) Leeds and  (c) Scotland each day in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: The following table shows the number of passenger trains operating between York and  (a) London,  (b) Leeds and  (c) Scotland each day in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the current rail timetable. The figures include open access and franchised passenger trains.
	
		
			Northbound  Southbound  Difference 
			   Day  June 1996  March 10  Difference  June 1996  March 10  
			 King's Cross - York Mon-Fri 27 34 7 27 35 8 
			  Sat 25 31 6 24 31 7 
			  Sun 19 25 6 19 29 10 
			 York- Edinburgh Mon-Fri 21 33 12 21 33 12 
			  Sat 22 36 14 22 36 14 
			  Sun 17 32 15 18 32 14 
			 York - Leeds Mon-Fri 73 85 12 73 81 8 
			  Sat 74 83 9 71 83 12 
			  Sun 53 67 14 55 68 13 
			 Total  331 426 +95 330 428 +98

Rapid Transit Systems: Luton

Andrew Selous: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport from which budget the Luton Dunstable busway funding announced on 10 March 2010 will come.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport's funding contribution towards the Luton Dunstable Busway will be provided from the Regional Funding Allocation for the east of England.

Roads: East Sussex

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the timetable is of the decision-making process for confirmation of the compulsory purchase and side road orders for the Bexhill to Hastings link road.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 12 March 2010
	The inquiries into the side roads order and compulsory purchase order for the Bexhill to Hastings link road, which commenced on the 10 November 2009, have now closed. The Inspector has yet to submit his report to the Secretary of State, once received the report will be considered by the Secretary of State and a decision taken as to whether or not to confirm the orders.

Roads: Tolls

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2010,  Official Report, column 1196W, on roads: tolls, when the most recent discussions referred to in the answer took place.

Sadiq Khan: The Chancellor had a number of discussions with transport Ministers in the lead up to the Budget, during which a range of transport issues were considered. The Budget 2008 was held on 12 March 2008.

Snow and Ice

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with representatives of local authorities on the gritting of roads during the recent severe weather conditions.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 9 March 2010
	 On 6 January 2010 the Government and the devolved Administrations, with the support of the Local Government Association re-introduced the Salt Cell. Prior to the Salt Cell being re-introduced Ministers and officials were in close contact with Local Government representatives, in particular the Local Government Association, with whom a number of discussions were held throughout the period of severe weather.
	The Salt Cell brings together the Department for Transport, the devolved Administrations (in Scotland and Wales), the Highways Agency, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), Met Office, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Cabinet Office. The aim of the Salt Cell is to provide advice to suppliers on priorities for deliveries.
	The Salt Cell arrives at its decisions by considering information provided by local authorities on their salt stocks and on weather forecasts provided by the Met Office.
	Officials have also had a number of ad hoc discussions with local authorities about specific local issues.

Southeastern

John Stanley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 99WH, on what date he expects to announce the outcome of his full review of Southeastern's timetable early in 2010.

Chris Mole: The start of Southeastern's timetable review was delayed by over three weeks due to the adverse weather. Therefore, it is anticipated that Southeastern will conclude their review by the end of April 2010. We would expect Southeastern to communicate the outcome of this with its passengers.

Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Stroud constituency, the effects on that constituency of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 2000.

Sadiq Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from my Department for transport investment in Gloucestershire, within which transport authority Stroud falls, has risen threefold over the last decade.
	Investment in the Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2004 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 24 per cent., and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 36 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
	In 2002, Gloucestershire county council received a total of £631,500 from the Department's Rural Bus Challenge fund to establish the Village Link rural bus service. Village Link is a demand-responsive bus service for the elderly, and those with disabilities or mobility problems, who have difficulty accessing employment, education, health care and leisure services due to a lack of transport.
	The Stroud Valleys Car Club was launched in June 2003 with grant funding from the Countryside Agency, Gloucestershire county council and Stroud district council. The Car Club is designed to reduce unnecessary car use by giving members flexible access to cars without the costs of car ownership.
	In April 2009, the Cotswold Lorry Management Zone Trial came into force. The scheme, developed by Gloucestershire county council, sets clear routes for lorries to use through the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and includes a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on all routes throughout the zone other than the two designated 'through-routes' (the A417 and A419). The scheme aims to achieve a 30 per cent. reduction in heavy goods vehicle flows on the B4008 between the junction 12 of the M5 and the A419, and on the A46 at Painswick near Stroud.

Trade Unions

Robert Syms: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many days staff of his Department and its agencies spent on trade union activity in the latest year for which figures are available; and what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of such activity.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold this information centrally, and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Traffic Commissioners

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the budget of the Office of the Traffic Commissioners is for 2009-10; where each of their offices is; and what powers local authorities have to  (a) object to a heavy goods licence being granted by the Commissioners and  (b) call for an existing licence to be amended or revoked.

Paul Clark: The budget of the Office of the Traffic Commissioners in 2009-10 is £6.53 million. The Traffic Commissioners have offices based in:
	Edinburgh
	Eastbourne
	Bristol
	Birmingham
	Warrington
	Leeds
	Cambridge.
	Local authorities' powers to object to heavy goods licences being granted by the commissioners or to call for an existing licence to be amended or revoked are set out in the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995. A copy of the Act has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The relevant legislation is available to the public and more details can be found at:
	www.opsi.gov.uk

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has had with the Treasury on its response to the recommendation of the recent Public Accounts Committee report on the Equality and Human Rights Commission on clear guidelines to the Commission on  (a) how future business cases should demonstrate the achievement of value for money and  (b) at what point the GEO expects to be brought into these decisions; and when she expects the Treasury Minute in response to the report to be issued.

Maria Eagle: Following publication of this Committee of Public Accounts' Report on 4 March, the Government Equalities Office has discussed with Treasury the process for preparing the Government response to the report as a whole. The Government's response will be set out alongside responses to the other Committee of Public Accounts' conclusions and recommendations from its Fifteenth Report in a Treasury Minute in due course.

Official Engagements

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what her official engagements are in March 2010.

Harriet Harman: I have accepted a speaking engagement on 11 March. It is not usual practice to release details of future engagements other than confirmed speaking engagements.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cinemas: Hearing Impaired

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of cinemas equipped to show films with subtitles for the deaf and hearing-impaired.

Ben Bradshaw: The most recent assessment of the number of cinemas able to provide subtitled screenings of films suggested that at the end of 2008 there were 316 suitably equipped sites in the UK. This equated to 40 per cent. of UK cinema sites, providing around 24,000 subtitled screenings in 2008.
	Since that time a number of cinemas have installed digital projectors, which means that the number of sites equipped to show subtitled screenings is likely to have increased significantly.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been paid in reimbursable expenses to special advisers in his Department in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Expenses incurred by special advisers are reimbursed in accordance with the principles set out in Civil Service Code, Civil Service Management Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Department's guidance on travel and subsistence.
	The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2008-09 1,050 
			 2007-08 680 
			 2006-07 1,340 
			 2005-06 1,150 
			 2004-05 1,550

Departmental Public Expenditure

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what categories of his Department's expenditure generate a Barnett consequential for Wales.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 12 March 2010
	The Department's expenditure that generates a Barnett consequential for Wales can be found in the Statement of Funding Policy on the Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr_csr07_funding591.pdf
	The categories of expenditure listed for DCMS are:
	Administration
	Arts
	Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission
	Libraries
	Museums and Galleries
	Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
	Museum Reserves and GIS-Museums and Galleries
	Occupied Palaces/Other Historic Buildings
	Regional Cultural Consortia
	Research Surveys and Other Services
	Royal Parks
	Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme
	Sport and Recreation
	Tourism (England).

National Heritage Memorial Fund

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the proposed 50 per cent. reduction in the budget of the National Heritage Memorial Fund on the operation of the Fund.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 11 March 2010
	None. The budget of the National Heritage Memorial Fund has not been reduced by 50 per cent. Over 2009-10 and 2010-11 the NHMF will receive its expected level of funding which is £20 million.

Theatre: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tickets have been  (a) made available and  (b) used in relation to each theatre participating in the free theatre tickets scheme.

Margaret Hodge: Arts Council England has provided a regional breakdown of the number of tickets allocated and distributed to the 'A Night Less Ordinary' scheme between February 2009 and November 2009. Further information will be available in April. Details for individual theatres are commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be provided.
	
		
			  Region  Ticket  a llocation  Ticket d istribution 
			 East 3,721 2,033 
			 East Midlands 7,751 7,125 
			 London 61,165 38,942 
			 National 3,008 2,247 
			 North East 4,575 2,540 
			 North West 30,579 15,083 
			 South East 19,281 13,929 
			 South West 10,549 7,770 
			 West Midlands 22,818 20,208 
			 Yorkshire 16,834 12,147 
			 Total 180,281 122,024 
		
	
	This is an updated table which includes data from three venues that hadn't reported when figures were announced in January.

Tourism: Olympic Games 2012

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department plans to provide to promote the tourism opportunities provided by the London 2012 Olympics.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer  12 March  2010
	The Department is providing £130 million between 2008-09 and 2010-11 to VisitBritain (VB) and VisitEngland (VE) for marketing Britain as a tourist destination overseas and England as a tourist destination to the domestic market (and some overseas markets). In addition, public funding support for UK tourism from the Regional Development Agencies, local authorities, the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Executive also need to be taken into account. This is likely to exceed £2 billion in the current spending review period.
	VB has recently launched its marketing strategy for 2012 which is currently resourced from the above allocation. In addition, public funding support for tourism supports programmes that focus on improving training and skills within the industry, the quality of accommodation and our welcome to the world. These are an integral part of the Government's strategy to help tourism maximise the opportunities presented by the 2012 games.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members' Staff: Pensions

Tony Lloyd: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what discussions the House of Commons Commission has had with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the system of pensions for staff of hon. Members; and if the Commission will make it its policy to continue the Portcullis Pension Plan for staff alongside any new system of allowances and expenses for hon. Members brought in by the Authority.

Nick Harvey: The Speaker, on behalf of the Commission, discussed the future of the Portcullis Plan with the Interim Chief Executive of IPSA, Andrew McDonald, at their meeting on 16 February. The Commission has agreed that the House Service will continue to administer the Portcullis Pension Plan, including making it available to new members of Members' staff, subject to review when IPSA takes on some responsibility for Members' pensions. Members will fund the employer's contribution from their staffing budgets and the Chair of IPSA has said these will be set at a level which allows for appropriate pension contributions to be made. IPSA will make the necessary deductions from the staff payroll. IPSA has agreed to follow the House's current arrangements for the plan, under which a single standard employer contribution rate of 10 per cent. of total salary is paid; and staff are automatically enrolled in the plan unless they opt out. The House's Pensions Unit will liaise with IPSA officials to ensure co-ordination of their work. The Commission believes this agreement will provide reassurance to existing and new Members' staff, and to Members themselves.

Members: Allowances

Dai Davies: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2010,  Official Report, column 837W, on Members: expenses, what the estimated cost is of each change of use of offices referred to in the answer; and from which budget this expenditure will come.

Nick Harvey: Planning for the series of moves which will culminate in the conversion of 1 Derby Gate into accommodation for use by Members and their staff is only at an early stage, and costs for the later projects in the series have yet to be worked up. The first leg, involving the move of the Department of Resources to Tothill street, will involve prior building work of around £3.9 million. The cost of removals is expected to be £77,000.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 185W, on nurseries, whether the full business case for the replacement of Bellamy's Bar, the Astor Suite and Bellamy's Clubroom by a day nursery will be submitted to  (a) the Finance and Services Committee and  (b) the House of Commons Commission before any decision is taken to proceed with the works.

Nick Harvey: No. Neither the Finance and Services Committee nor the House of Commons Commission consider business cases. The Commission's decision that a nursery facility should be established is subject to the business case being approved by the Clerk of the House as Accounting Officer.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the works proposed to convert Bellamy's Bar, the Astor Suite and Bellamy's Clubroom into a day nursery will be subject to competitive tender.

Nick Harvey: Yes.

Nurseries

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 185W, on nurseries, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full business case for the replacement of Bellamy's Bar, the Astor Suite and Bellamy's Clubroom by a day nursery with the commercially confidential information redacted.

Nick Harvey: No. It is not the practice to put business cases into the public domain.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients spent more than four hours in accident and emergency departments in Birmingham in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information on the percentage of patients in accident and emergency departments in Birmingham, that were seen within four hours, for 2003-10 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of patients seen within four hours 
			 2003-04 89.7 
			 2004-05 96.8 
			 2005-06 98.2 
			 2006-07 98.2 
			 2007-08 98.4 
			 2008-09 97.9 
			 2009-10 98.2 
			  Note: The hospitals these data relate to are: Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.  Source: Department of Health dataset quarterly monitoring of accident and emergency.

Cancer: Health Services

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of suspected cancer patients resident in  (a) the City of Manchester and  (b) Manchester Central constituency saw an NHS consultant within two weeks of referral in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of suspected cancer patients seeing a consultant within two weeks of general practitioner (GP) referral 
			Central Manchester University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust  Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust  University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust  The Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
			   Quarter  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2001-02 Q1 81 90.0 992 95.9 230 94.3 5 83.3 
			  Q2 68 85.0 1,072 94.9 277 93.9 0 0.0 
			  Q3 100 93.5 1,100 98.1 282 95.9 3 100.0 
			  Q4 80 87.9 1,158 99.6 260 91.9 3 100.0 
			   
			 2002-03 Q1 95 88.0 1,215 98.8 230 92.4 5 83.3 
			  Q2 125 98.4 1,240 99.1 308 96.0 - - 
			  Q3 165 100.0 1,325 98.4 497 99.8 6 85.7 
			  Q4 135 100.0 1,190 95.8 320 98.8 4 80.0 
			   
			 2003-04 Q1 109 100.0 1,214 92.2 336 97.1 3 75.0 
			  Q2 128 99.2 1,174 94.9 388 98.2 5 100.0 
			  Q3 151 100.0 1,276 97.6 371 99.2 3 100.0 
			  Q4 176 99.4 1,186 97.4 340 100.0 - - 
			   
			 2004-05 Q1 170 100.0 1,263 98.6 428 99.8 - - 
			  Q2 267 100.0 1,314 99.8 336 100.0 1 100.0 
			  Q3 275 99.6 1,475 100.0 388 99.7 - - 
			  Q4 209 100.0 1,371 99.9 383 100.0 - - 
			   
			 2005-06 Q1 274 100.0 1,567 100.0 466 100.0 1 100.0 
			  Q2 304 100.0 1,517 99.9 304 100.0 - - 
			  Q3 298 100.0 1,505 100.0 430 100.0 - - 
			  Q4 305 100.0 1,564 99.9 588 100.0 1 100.0 
			   
			 2006-07 Q1 334 100.0 1,746 99.9 615 99.8 1 100.0 
			  Q2 359 99.7 1,681 99.9 684 100.0 - - 
			  Q3 374 99.7 1,857 100.0 744 100.0 - - 
			  Q4 356 99.4 1,898 99.9 678 100.0 4 100.0 
			   
			 2007-08 Q1 391 100.0 1,795 100.0 813 100.0 2 100.0 
			  Q2 366 100.0 1,821 100.0 813 100.0 1 100.0 
			  Q3 220 100.0 1,873 100.0 846 99.9 1 100.0 
			  Q4 354 99.2 1,873 100.0 832 100.0 - - 
			   
			 2008-09 Q1 431 99.8 2,182 100.0 881 100.0 - - 
			  Q2 316 100.0 2,307 100.0 875 99.9 - - 
			  Q3 325 100.0 2,065 99.9 870 99.8 1 100.0 
			  Q4 461 98.3 2,275 96.3 882 98.5 - - 
			   
			 2009-10 Q1 476 93.7 2,217 95.1 1,087 97.1 1 100.0 
			  Q2 437 94.0 2,236 93.2 1,047 96.8 - - 
			  Q3 386 96.5 1,987 94.9 1,058 97.7 - - 
			  Notes: 1. 2001-02 data for Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are based on aggregate figures for hospital sites covering Rochdale, Bury, Oldham and North Manchester, which existed as separate hospital trusts at the time. 2. The methodology for collecting cancer waiting times data changed from 1 January 2009 to bring reporting in line with practice under the 18 weeks programme.  Source: Department of Health, Cancer Waiting Times database.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on its Health Technology Appraisal process in respect of rarer cancers.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the end of life criteria used by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the level of patient access to treatments for rarer cancers;
	(2)  whether his Department provides guidance to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence appraisal committees on the application of its end of life criteria.

Mike O'Brien: The explicit criteria introduced in January 2009 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to inform consideration of certain treatments that can extend life near the end of life, have been a factor in NICE's appraisal of several medicines. Further information can be found in the written answer I gave the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 8 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 708-10W.
	The application of appraisal criteria to individual technology appraisals is a matter for NICE as an independent body. The Department has not issued any guidance to NICE appraisal committees on this matter.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to encourage awareness of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning among ambulance, paramedic and accident and emergency staff in the NHS.

Mike O'Brien: Awareness of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is important for all clinicians in the national health service and the NHS locally should reflect this in guidance to staff and consider the need for appropriate training as part of their workforce plans.

Care Quality Commission: Public Appointments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable has been set for the appointment of a new Chair of the Care Quality Commission.

Mike O'Brien: The recruitment process is under way, in line with the procedures set out in the Commissioner for Public Appointments' guidance for such appointments.
	The appointment is subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Health Select Committee. It is, therefore, likely that the timing of the general election may affect the timetable for the appointment.

Community Health Services

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he plans to undertake in developing the Transforming Community Services programme.

Mike O'Brien: The Department works closely with a wide range of stakeholders to co-produce Transforming Community Services policies and guidance. For example, the programme's working groups include representation from strategic health authorities, clinicians and professional bodies.

Dental Services: North Yorkshire

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) gross expenditure including dental charges and  (b) net expenditure was in respect of NHS general dental services in North Yorkshire and York in each year since 1996-97.

Ann Keen: Since 2006-07, data on primary dental care expenditure can be derived from primary care trust (PCT) financial records. This data reflects the new contract framework for primary dental care services introduced from 1 April 2006, based on the PCT areas introduced from 1 October 2006. It takes account of all relevant service costs for primary dental care services including those provided by dental providers under general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) contracts. It is not directly comparable with the available pre-2006 data. Expenditure on primary dental care services in the North Yorkshire and York PCT since 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on primary dental care services in North Yorkshire and York PCT 
			  £000 
			   Gross expenditure  Dental charges paid by patients  Net expenditure 
			 2006-07 32,165 8,875 23,290 
			 2007-08 32,089 8,879 23,210 
			 2008-09 39,241 10,358 28,883 
			  Source: Calculated from details of gross primary dental care expenditure, and income from dental charges, recorded in the notes to the PCT's accounts. 
		
	
	Prior to April 2006, most primary dental care services were provided under former GDS arrangements. These were demand led services where the pattern of dental expenditure was largely determined by where dentists chose to practice and how much national health service work they chose to undertake.
	The NHS Information Centre for health and social care holds local-level information on the expenditure for NHS primary dental care under the former GDS and PDS arrangements. Expenditure information for the financial years 1997-98 to 2005-06 is available for the following former PCTs: Selby and York; Hambleton and Richmondshire; Craven, Harrogate and Rural District; and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale. This information is contained in the document 'Expenditure on General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services in North Yorkshire, 1997-98 to 2005-06', which has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) disciplinary and  (b) capability procedures have been (i) initiated and (ii) completed in his Department in each of the last five years; how much time on average was taken to complete each type of procedure in each such year; how many and what proportion of his Department's staff were subject to each type of procedure in each such year; and how many and what proportion of each type of procedure resulted in the dismissal of the member of staff.

Phil Hope: The Department's disciplinary and capability procedures are followed as part of its absence management; poor performance and misconduct policies.
	Prior to 2006 records were not held centrally for the core Department, and are not available. Since then the core Department has not dismissed any civil servants for poor performance, although other sanctions, including demotion, have been used. In the last year fewer than five individuals have been dismissed from the core Department for reasons other than performance.
	The following table sets out the information for those staff who have been issued a disciplinary penalty under the three disciplinary streams. All action is undertaken within the prescribed timescales within the Department's policies.
	
		
			   Total staff year average  Performance  Absence  Conduct 
			 2006-07 2,250 32 Fewer than 5 6 
			 2007-08 2,178 8 Fewer than 5 7 
			 2008-09 2,222 9 Fewer than 5 Fewer than 5

Doctors and Nurses: Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses were employed in the NHS in the city of Manchester in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

Ann Keen: The data is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  All doctors and qualified nursing staff in selected areas, as at 30 September 2002-07 
			  Headcount 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Manchester Primary Care Trust (PCT)
			 All doctors 348 391 365 399 395 452 440 
			  O f which :
			 Hospital and community health staff doctors (HCHS) 53 76 50 64 61 96 86 
			 General practitioners (GPs) 295 315 315 335 334 356 354 
			 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 860 860 905 939 999 1,103 1,090 
			  O f which :
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 737 719 779 798 872 918 896 
			 
			 GP practice nurses 123 141 126 141 127 185 194 
			 
			  Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
			 HCHS doctors 831 850 901 915 1,005 813 979 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 2,383 2,622 2,686 2,856 2,999 3,103 3,274 
			 
			  Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
			 HCHS doctors 919 696 839 965 1,013 1,218 1,225 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 2,922 3,221 3,303 3,360 3,079 4,119 3,264 
			 
			  Christie Hospital NHS Trust
			 HCHS doctors 120 122 101 143 142 166 174 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 361 383 405 496 478 489 481 
			 
			  University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
			 HCHS doctors 529 525 534 565 573 597 566 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,521 1,531 1,570 1,816 1,776 1,861 1,870 
			  Notes:  1. Manchester PCT was created on 1 October 2006 following a merger of Central Manchester PCT, North Manchester PCT and South Manchester PCT. Figures prior to 2006 are an aggregate of the previous organisations. Due to mergers in organisations it is not possible to accurately map data back any further than 2002.  2. The Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust achieved foundation trust status on 1 January 2009 and is now known as the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  3. The South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust achieved foundation trust status on 31 October 2006. It is now known as the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust.  4. Data excludes medical health and personal care assistants, most of which are GPs working part-time in hospitals.  5.  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.   Source:  The NHS Information Centre for health and social care-General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care-Medical and Dental Workforce Census. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care-Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Electronic Warfare

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on the critical infrastructure of his Department of an electromagnetic pulse strike caused  (a) deliberately and  (b) through solar activity.

Phil Hope: The Department assesses a wide range of deliberate or accidental risks to its business critical services, as part of its business continuity arrangements. The Department's business continuity plans and response structure allow it to protect staff and continue critical business activities in the event of a major incident or business disruption.

General Practitioners

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England were seen by a general practitioner in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Figures on the numbers of patients who were seen by a general practitioner (GP) are not collected. Data on the estimated number of GP consultations, based on a sample, in England and the number of GPs in England is available and shown as follows. Data on estimated annual number of consultations per GP has been calculated by dividing the estimated number of GP consultations in England by the number of GPs in England. Estimates broken down by strategic health authorities, primary care trusts or MPs' constituencies are also not available.
	
		
			   Estimated number of GP consultations in England per year  Number of GPs in England( 1)  Estimated annual number of consultations per GP in England 
			 1997 163,200,000 28,046 5,819 
			 1998 158,200,000 28,251 5,600 
			 1999 155,500,000 28,467 5,462 
			 2000 155,100,000 28,593 5,424 
			 2001 161,900,000 28,802 5,621 
			 2002 162,100,000 29,202 5,551 
			 2003 168,900,000 30,358 5,564 
			 2004 170,900,000 31,523 5,421 
			 2005 175,400,000 32,738 5,358 
			 2006 181,400,000 33,091 5,482 
			 2007 185,300,000 33,364 5,554 
			 2008 189,000,000 34,010 5,557 
			 (1 )Headcount-excluding registrars and retainers.   Source:  NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care/QResearch: Trends in Consultations Rates in General Practice 1995 to 2008: Analysis of the QResearch Database. The Information Centre for Health and Social Care, General and Personal Medical Services Statistics: Data as at 1 October 1997-99 and 30 September from 2000 onwards. 
		
	
	These data are published at the following websites:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/general-practice/trends-in-consultation-rates-in-general-practice--1995-2009
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/workforce/nhs-staff-numbers

General Practitioners: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the proportion of  (a) general practice surgeries and  (b) general practitioners in York who offer surgeries in the evening or at weekends.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. The latest published data shows that as at July 2009, in North Yorkshire and York primary care trust (PCT), 74.5 per cent. (73 of their 98) of general practitioner (GP) practices were offering access to routine GP appointments outside normal surgery opening hours.
	 Notes:
	1. Data is not collected centrally on this availability in relation to individual GPs.
	2. The figure for England is 77.1 per cent.
	3. The figure for the Yorkshire and Humber strategic health authority is 76.9 per cent.
	 Source:
	Department of Health

Health Services: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent in Birmingham in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information on the amount of national health service revenue expenditure by breakdown of primary care trust (PCT), and strategic health authority (SHA), in Birmingham, from 2002 to 2009, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Revenue expenditure 
			  £000 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Eastern Birmingham PCT 241,983 262,121 294,845 340,396 - - - 
			 North Birmingham PCT 146,742 169,819 192,454 203,826 - - - 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT - - - - 557,203 597,876 639,980 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 276,808 311,411 353,961 399,782 440,141 473,273 518,687 
			 South Birmingham PCT 338,983 382,939 429,695 468,932 510,745 551,552 592,208 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 227,026 176,330 187,513 195,670 - - - 
			 West Midlands SHA - - - - 339,683 432,601 459,363 
			 Total 1,231,542 1,302,620 1,458,468 1,608,606 1,847,772 2,055,302 2,210,238 
			  Notes: 1. The PCT figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of Heart of Birmingham PCT, South Birmingham PCT and Birmingham East and North PCT. 2. Birmingham East and North PCT was formed following the merger of Eastern Birmingham PCT and North Birmingham PCT in 2006. The figures provided for 2002-03 to 2005-06 are the equivalent values in these two PCTs. 3. The SHA figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of West Midlands SHA (2006-07 to 2008-09) and Birmingham and The Black Country SHA (2002-03 to 2005-06). 4. Birmingham and The Black Country SHA covers a wider area than Birmingham alone, but it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure in the Birmingham area from the total expenditure of the SHA. West Midlands SHA was formed as part of the reconfiguration of SHAs in 2006 following the merger of three predecessor bodies including Birmingham and The Black Country SHA. Again, its expenditure covers a wider area than Birmingham alone but it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure in the Birmingham area from the total expenditure of the SHA.  Source: Audited summarisation schedules, 2002-03 to 2008-09

Health Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole time equivalent NHS  (a) general practitioners and  (b) general dental practitioners worked at practices within the City of York local authority area (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the most recent data for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The data are not available in the format requested. The data for dental workforce figures are only available on a headcount basis, and figures do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more national health service work than others. Headcount numbers of NHS dentists, in York, as at 31 March 1997 are available in the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006 in Annex E. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This information can be obtained from the website for the Information Centre for health and social care at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The headcount numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the year ending 31 March 2009, are available in the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 report in Table G1 of Annex 3. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This information can be obtained from the website for The Information Centre for health and social care at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809
	Copies of both publications have already been placed in the Library.
	The information that is available for general practitioners is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  General Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) by selected area (full - time equivalents) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total Specified Organisations 430 436 434 436 441 450 473 465 484 503 491 485 
			 North Yorkshire Health Authority 430 436 434 436 441 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) n/a n/a n/a n/a 161 168 172 183 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 65 72 656 65 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 126 135 131 134 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 98 98 97 103 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 503 491 485 
			 n/a = not applicable.  Notes: 1. North Yorkshire and York PCT was created on 1 October 2006 following a merger of Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT, Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT and Selby and York PCT. Prior to 2002, the City of York was serviced by North Yorkshire Health Authority. This Health Authority may not map completely into the newly formed primary care trusts but has been provided here as background and appears consistent with subsequent aggregated PCT figures. 2. Data as at 1 October 1997-99 and 30 September 2000-08. 3. Totals may not equal sum of figures due to rounding. 4.  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Hearing Impaired: Health Services

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what changes have been made to the level of funding provided for audiology training courses by strategic health authorities in England in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent strategic health authorities in England reducing the number of audiology training courses.

Ann Keen: Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce they need. Strategic health authorities are responsible for commissioning the correct number of training places to meet the needs of the local population.

Hearing Impaired: Health Services

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to maintain the number of trained paediatric audiologists in the next three years.

Ann Keen: Working with stakeholders, we are developing a range of education and training programmes which will have a focus on audiology as part of Modernising Scientific Careers. These will encompass the needs of both adult and paediatric services. We are working with strategic health authorities to ensure a smooth transition to implementation.

Hearing Impaired: Health Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what deaf awareness training is provided for NHS staff.

Ann Keen: The responsibility for setting education standards on pre-registration training courses for health professionals rests with the independent health regulatory bodies. The content and standards of postgraduate training for doctors is the responsibility of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. Ongoing training for all staff is the responsibility of employers, who are best placed to understand the training needs of their staff. Specific training courses in deaf awareness are available and are provided at a local level, according to need.

Hospitals: Construction

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have been built in  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) the North East and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The number of major hospital schemes that have been built and opened in each year since 1997 is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			   South Tyneside  The north-east  The rest of England 
			 1997 0 0 5 
			 1998 0 0 4 
			 1999 0 0 0 
			 2000 0 0 6 
			 2001 0 1 7 
			 2002 0 1 13 
			 2003 0 3 10 
			 2004 0 1 10 
			 2005 0 0 12 
			 2006 0 1 17 
			 2007 0 1 10 
			 2008 0 1 6 
			 2009 0 1 16 
			 2010 0 1 0 
		
	
	There have been a number of smaller scale health service projects in the South Tyneside area which include The Washington primary care centre (capital cost £6 million) which opened in 2008; the Gateshead and South Tyneside Joint Assessment Unit (£4.5 million) and three other schemes at the South Tyneside primary care trust amounting to £9.5 million.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for a diagnostic test in Birmingham in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the average waiting time for a diagnostic test in each year since April 2006 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Month  Median wait (weeks) 
			 2006-07 April 5.2 
			 2006-07 January 3.1 
			 2007-08 January 1.9 
			 2008-09 January 1.4 
			 2009-10 January 1.7 
			  Notes: 1. The median waiting time has been calculated as a total for all 15 diagnostic tests collected monthly 2. The median waiting time has been calculated as a total across Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust, Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT and South Birmingham PCT. 3. Data prior to April 2006 are not available.  Source: Department of Health, Knowledge and Intelligence, Commissioning and Systems Directorate.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were on waiting lists for hospital treatment in  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) the North East and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The data requested are shown in the following table.
	Before 2003, South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) was part of Gateshead and South Tyneside Health Authority (HA), therefore these organisations are shown separately.
	
		
			  Total in-patients waiting at month end since 1997 (commissioner based) 
			   Gateshead and South Tyneside HA  South Tyneside PCT  North East SHA  England 
			 March 1997 8,749 n/a 56,363 1,131,201 
			 March 1998 8,988 n/a 57,618 1,276,965 
			 March 1999 8,277 n/a 50,900 1,060,356 
			 March 2000 8,068 n/a 48,619 1,024,654 
			 March 2001 7,561 n/a 47,088 995,123 
			 March 2002 7,332 n/a 48,612 1,021,604 
			 March 2003 n/a 3,379 46,214 975,338 
			 March 2004 n/a 3,043 41,617 890,205 
			 March 2005 n/a 2,630 35,175 808,810 
			 March 2006 n/a 3,052 34,696 771,100 
			 March 2007 n/a 2,800 32,599 691,885 
			 March 2008 n/a 2,136 25,977 526,223 
			 March 2009 n/a 2,402 27,666 565,772 
			 January 2010 n/a 2,674 32,155 632,108 
			  Notes: 1. Data for South Tyneside PCT prior to March 2003 relate to Gateshead and South Tyneside HA. 2. Data for 2003 to 2006 for North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) include previous SHAs: County Durham and Tees Valley and Northumberland Tyne and Wear. 3. Data prior to March 2003 for North East SHA relate to previous HAs: Tees, County Durham, Newcastle and North Tyneside, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Sunderland and Northumberland.  Source: QF01 and monthly returns from PCTs and HAs

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited for over six months for NHS treatment in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The data requested are shown in the following table.
	Before 2003, South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) was part of Gateshead and South Tyneside Health Authority (HA), therefore these organisations are shown separately.
	
		
			  In-patients waiting longer than six months at month end since 1997 (commissioner based) 
			   Gateshead and South Tyneside HA  South Tyneside PCT  North East SHA  England 
			 March 1997 2,562 n/a 12,473 283,866 
			 March 1998 2,494 n/a 12,468 377,164 
			 March 1999 2,301 n/a 9,880 276,752 
			 March 2000 1,850 n/a 9,365 264,370 
			 March 2001 1,497 n/a 8,765 242,953 
			 March 2002 1,426 n/a 10,126 238,091 
			 March 2003 n/a 346 7,819 189,045 
			 March 2004 n/a 96 3,598 80,125 
			 March 2005 n/a 23 1,482 40,843 
			 March 2006 n/a 0 0 199 
			 March 2007 n/a 0 0 352 
			 March 2008 n/a 0 0 71 
			 March 2009 n/a 0 0 114 
			 January 2010 n/a 0 0 52 
			  Notes: 1. Data for South Tyneside PCT prior to March 2003 relate to Gateshead and South Tyneside HA. 2. Data for 2003 to 2006 for North East SHA include previous SHAs: County Durham and Tees Valley and Northumberland Tyne and Wear. 3. Data prior to March 2003 for North East SHA relate to previous HAs: Tees, County Durham, Newcastle and North Tyneside, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Sunderland and Northumberland. 4. In-patient waiting times measured from decision to admit to admission.  Source: QF01 and monthly returns from PCTs and HAs

Maternity Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the Royal College of Midwives on maternity services.

Ann Keen: No such recent representations have been received from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). Ministers, the Chief Nursing Officer and other officials meet regularly with the RCM to discuss matters of mutual interest. I last met with Professor Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the RCM, on 20 January 2010.

Medical Records: Children

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether parents may opt out of the summary care record system on behalf of their children.

Mike O'Brien: Current policy permits parents of children who are not yet competent to decide for themselves to request that their children are not provided with a summary care record. The decision about whether or not to create a summary care record for a child is made by the child's general practitioner, informed by the parent's wishes, acting in the best interests of the child. A small number of children have not been provided with a summary care record following parental requests.
	The policy is presently being reviewed in the context of the safeguarding children agenda, in consultation with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the National Information Governance Board.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 193W, on NHS foundation trusts, what assessment his Department made of mortality rates at Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust when it assessed the Trust's application for foundation status.

Mike O'Brien: The Department's consideration of applications for foundation trust status is about reviewing an organisation's readiness for proceeding to the final stage of assessment. This final stage of applying to become a foundation trust is a detailed assessment undertaken by the independent regulator of foundation trusts in accordance with the relevant legislation.
	When the Department considered the application from Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust (now Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust) for foundation trust status, assurance was gained on the quality of care being provided via analysis of the trusts performance against key national standards. This included assessment against accident and emergency and hospital waiting time standards as well as the consideration of methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus and  Clostridium difficile rates at the organisation. The Department's review did not include an explicit review of hospital standardised mortality rates.
	The Department's assessment processes have since evolved and now include an explicit consideration of hospital standardised mortality rates, alongside other care quality indicators such as patient surveys and safety indicators. Since April 2009 the Department's assessment has also included the consideration of each application by the NHS Medical Director, whose support is required prior to an application being able to proceed to Monitor for assessment to foundation trust status. The NHS Medical Director considers a range of quality related intelligence, including hospital standardised mortality rates, in forming their view on each trust.

NHS: Finance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS funding has been allocated to  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) the North East and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Revenue allocations were first made to primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2003-04. Before that, revenue allocations were made to health authorities (HAs).
	Table 1 shows revenue allocations to Gateshead and South Tyneside HA, the total revenue allocations made to HAs covered by North East strategic health authority (SHA), and England total, from 1996-97 to 2002-03.
	
		
			  Table 1: Revenue allocations to health authorities (HAs) 1996-97 to 2002-03 
			  £ million 
			   HA revenue allocations 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside HA 170.9 178.4 187.6 255.5 278.2 300.8 332.5 
			 North East SHA 1,178.2 1,226.7 1,294.0 1,768.8 1,936.3 2,102.3 2,321.1 
			 England 20,886.0 21,816.4 22,895.3 31,192.9 34,234.9 37,157.4 41,468.5 
			  Note:  Revenue allocations are not always comparable between years because of changes to baseline funding.   Source:  Financial Planning and Allocations Division, Department of Health. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows PCT revenue allocations from 2003-04 to 2010-11 made to Gateshead PCT and South Tyneside PCT (both formed from Gateshead and South Tyneside HA), the total revenue allocations made to PCTs covered by the North East SHA and England total.
	
		
			  Table 2: Revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) 2003-04 to 2010-11 
			  £ million 
			   PCT revenue allocations 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Gateshead PCT 202.6 222.2 242.7 286.7 313.3 330.4 357.2 376.6 
			 South Tyneside PCT 158.3 173.8 190.0 223.0 243.8 257.1 279.3 294.0 
			 North East SHA 2,516.1 2,756.9 3,009.6 3,588.1 3,920.7 4,134.8 4,452.9 4,694.6 
			 England 45,027.2 49,328.2 53,925.0 64,309.6 70,354.7 74,197.5 80,030.7 84,432.4 
			  Note:  Revenue allocations are not always comparable between years because of changes to baseline funding. For example allocations from 2006-07 include primary medical services funding.   Source:  Financial Planning and Allocations Division, Department of Health.

NHS: Procurement

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons primary care trusts in the East of England have been instructed to suspend procurement; and when they will be allowed to restart procurement.

Mike O'Brien: All primary care trusts (PCTs) including those in the East of England are required to review their plans for future provision of community services under a new assurance and approval process, as set out in guidance published 5 February.(1) A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	(1) Transforming Community Services: The assurance and approval process for PCT-provided community services (Department of Health, February 2010)

Patients: Safety

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths resulted from each type of patient safety incident in each year between 1997 and 2005.

Ann Keen: The following table provides the number of patient safety incidents associated with the death of a patient that were submitted to the National Patient Safety Agency's Reporting and Learning System each year for the period from the 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, broken down by type of incident.
	The National Patient Safety Agency was set up in 2001. The Reporting and Learning System was piloted in 2002-03 but not all national health service trusts were reporting before the end of 2004. Information about the number of patient safety incidents associated with death in 2004 is not included because of the low number of incidents submitted to the Reporting and Learning System prior to that date and the unreliability of the information available.
	
		
			  Reported incidents that occurred between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006 
			  Incident type  Number /percentage 
			 Deaths 2,275 
			 All incident types 596,138 
			 Percentage of incident types reported as deaths 0.4 
			  Source:  National Patient Safety Agency. 
		
	
	
		
			  Reported incidents that occurred between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006, broken down by incident type 
			  Incident type  Number 
			 Access, admission, transfer, discharge (including missing patient) 111 
			 Clinical assessment (including diagnosis, scans, tests, assessments) 109 
			 Consent, communication, confidentiality 50 
			 Disruptive, aggressive behaviour 12 
			 Documentation (including records, identification) 11 
			 Infection Control Incident 18 
			 Implementation of care and ongoing monitoring/review 55 
			 Infrastructure (including staffing, facilities, environment) 38 
			 Medical device/equipment 32 
			 Medication 37 
			 Patient abuse (by staff/third party) 5 
			 Patient accident 100 
			 Self-harming behaviour 419 
			 Treatment, procedure 237 
			 Other 1,041 
			 Total 2,275

York Hospital: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole time equivalent  (a) medical consultants,  (b) other doctors,  (c) nurses and midwives and  (d) other health professionals were employed at York Hospital in 1997, excluding posts subsequently transferred to York Primary Care Trust; and how many were employed in each category on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The data are not available in the format requested. The following table shows national health service staff at the York Hospitals NHS Trust by main staff group as at 30 September each specified year. The figures quoted for 1997 include posts that subsequently transferred to Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT), as these cannot be separately identified.
	
		
			  NHS staff at York Hospitals NHS Trust (full time equivalent) 
			   1997  2008 
			 All hospital and community health services (HCHS) medical and dental consultants 102 157 
			 of which medical consultant 97 152 
			 All HCHS other medical and dental staff 159 217 
			 of which medical other 153 208 
			 All non-medical staff 3,399 3,232 
			
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,771 1,513 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,362 1,030 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 409 483 
			 Qualified Allied Health Professions 228 231 
			 Qualified Healthcare Scientists n/a 138 
			 Other Qualified Scientific, therapeutic and technical (ST and T) staff 181 114 
			
			 Support to clinical staff 1,021 885 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 915 670 
			 Support to ST and T staff 105 215 
			
			 NHS infrastructure support 602 834 
			 Central functions 166 307 
			 Hotel, property and estates 344 457 
			 Managers and senior managers 92 70 
			 Other staff or those with unknown classification 6 0 
			 n/a = Not applicable. Figures for healthcare scientists were not separately identifiable until 2003.  Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2.  Data Quality Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

JUSTICE

Burglary: Convictions

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of domestic burglary offences committed in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts in the North East Government Office Region (GOR) and England and Wales for domestic burglary offences, from 1997 to 2008 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Centrally held court proceedings data do not identify the circumstances of each case and it is therefore not possible to separately identify in which areas offences of burglary in a dwelling were committed.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data are given in the table for the North East GOR in which the Jarrow constituency and South Tyneside are located.
	Court proceedings data for 2009 are planned for publication in autumn, 2010.
	
		
			  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for burglary in a dwelling offences( 1)  in the North East Government Office Region (GOR)( 2)  and England and Wales, 1997 to 2008( 3,4) 
			  Area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 5) 
			 England and Wales 17,870 17,306 16,387 14,471 13,684 14,622 14,540 13,503 12,820 12,442 13,138 13,471 
			  Of which: 
			 North East GOR 1,474 1,423 1,307 1,004 1,091 1,206 1,007 790 776 767 827 786 
			 (1) Includes burglary, and aggravated burglary, in a dwelling-Theft Act 1968 sections 9, 9(1)(a), 9(1 )(b), 10. (2) Includes: Cleveland police force area; Durham police force area; Northumbria police force area. (3) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Crimes of Violence: Convictions

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of offences related to  (a) violent crime and  (b) serious violent crime in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts in the north-east Government office region (GOR) and England and Wales for offences of violence against the person, from 1997 to 2008 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data are given in the table for the north-east GOR in which the Jarrow constituency and South Tyneside are located.
	Court proceedings data for 2009 are planned to be published in the autumn 2010.
	
		
			  Persons found guilty at all courts for violence against the person offences in the north-east Government office region (GOR)( 1) , and England and Wales, 1997 to 2008( 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			  Area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 4) 
			  England and Wales 
			 more serious offences(5) 3,283 3,173 2,915 2,825 2,908 3,201 3,195 3,554 3,589 3,242 3,453 3,424 
			 less serious offences(6) 31,279 33,877 32,785 32,445 32,390 34,507 34,841 35,595 37,340 38,622 38,498 38,095 
			 common assault 20,636 24,110 26,406 26,262 26,610 28,949 32,282 38,330 44,745 49,260 52,693 52,319 
			  of which: 
			  North-east GOR 
			 more serious offences(5) 236 236 181 169 167 203 219 214 220 206 225 202 
			 less serious offences(6) 2,119 2,319 2,322 2,204 2,260 2,328 2,208 2,163 2,387 2,554 2,707 2,578 
			 common assault 936 1,050 1,258 1,216 1,140 1,351 1,615 1,869 2,006 2,198 2,885 2,676 
			 (1) Includes: Cleveland police force area Durham police force area Northumbria police force area.  (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (4) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  (5) Includes: murder, attempted murder, threat or conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, infanticide, child destruction, causing death by dangerous driving, manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs, causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person, causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, causing death by driving,-unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers, causing death by aggravated vehicle taking, wounding or other act endangering life, endangering railway passenger.  (6) Includes: endangering life at sea, other wounding etc. (including offences of assaults occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm), cruelty to or neglect of children, abandoning child aged under two years, child abduction, procuring illegal abortion, concealment of birth.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Drugs: Crime

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of offences related to drugs in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts in the North East Government Office Region (GOR) and England and Wales for drugs offences, from 1997 to 2008 (latest available) can be found in the table.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data are given in the table for the North East GOR in which the Jarrow constituency and South Tyneside are located.
	Court proceedings data for 2009 are planned for publication in autumn, 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for drug offences in the North East Government Office Region (GOR)( 1)  and England and Wales, 1997to2008( 2,3) 
			  Area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 England and Wales 40,666 48,821 48,711 44,621 45,621 49,036 51,162 39,197 39,090 39,582 44,565 52,941 
			  Of which: 
			 North East GOR 1,526 2,194 2,528 2,773 3,340 3,624 3,816 2,687 2,759 2,734 2,667 2,626 
			 (1) Includes: Cleveland police force area; Durham police force area; Northumbria police force area. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Electoral Register

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the public expenditure cost nationally and locally of implementing the Government's announcement in April 2008 that address information held on the Electoral Register must be reviewed, checked and matched against a national address database.

Michael Wills: The Electoral Registration Data Standards Direction of April 2008 was made by the Secretary of State pursuant to the provisions of section 52(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 on the recommendation of the Electoral Commission.
	The Direction requires all electoral registration officers to ensure that all data stored by them in electronic systems complies with a set of minimum standards from 1 December 2009. In order to comply with the standards, Electoral Registration Officers must ensure address data is formatted according to the requirement of British Standard BS7666:2006 and must match the detail of electors' addresses with the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) in England and Wales, or in Scotland, the Corporate Address Gazetteers (CAG). The Government have made funding available to Electoral Registration Officers to enable them to meet the costs of compliance.
	The Electoral Registration Data Standards can enable local authorities to make efficiency savings through the creation of a single source of addressing information for all of the authority's services. That is because where local authorities take advantage of this the need for multiple entry of address data can be eliminated, reducing costs and inaccuracy. Information about address changes gathered through electoral registration activity throughout the year also ensures that the addresses recorded in local authority systems and in the NLPG and CAG continue to be as accurate and up to date as possible. This can be of particular benefit where the NLPG or CAG are used by the emergency services.
	The maximum amount of funding made available to support implementation of the data standards nationally and locally is set out in Tables 1 and 2 respectively. Local authorities in England and Wales and Valuation Joint Boards in Scotland are able to access the grant in aid through a claim process specified by the Secretary of State. Because this claim process will not be completed until 31 March 2010, the final amount paid out will not be known until after this date.
	
		
			  Table 1: Local authorities England and Wales 
			  Local authority  Maximum grant (£) 
			 Adur District Council 3,933 
			 Allerdale Borough Council 5,813 
			 Alnwick District Council 5,849 
			 Amber Valley Borough Council 3,971 
			 Arun District Council 4,622 
			 Ashfield District Council 3,933 
			 Ashford Borough Council 4,736 
			 Aylesbury Vale District Council 5,475 
			 Babergh District Council 4,134 
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council 5,417 
			 Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council 5,744 
			 Basildon District Council 5,728 
			 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 4,241 
			 Bassetlaw District Council 4,134 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Council 5,431 
			 Bedford Borough Council 4,340 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council 6,436 
			 Birmingham City Council 14,107 
			 Blaby District Council 4,73 8 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council 4,942 
			 Blackpool Council 4,251 
			 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council 5,926 
			 Blyth Valley Borough Council 4,835 
			 Bolsover District Council 3,738 
			 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council 5,691 
			 Boston Borough Council 3,885 
			 Bournemouth Borough Council 9,542 
			 Bracknell Forest Borough Council 3,829 
			 Braintree District Council 5,380 
			 Breckland Council 4,242 
			 Brentwood Borough Council 3,877 
			 Bridgend County Borough Council 5,270 
			 Bridgnorth District Council 3,934 
			 Brighton and Hove City Council 5,496 
			 Bristol City Council 7,030 
			 Broadland District Council 4,271 
			 Bromsgrove District Council 4,409 
			 Broxbourne Borough Council 18,526 
			 Broxtowe Borough Council 3,714 
			 Burnley Borough Council 4,013 
			 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council 19,839 
			 Caerphilly County Borough Council 4,902 
			 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council 4,633 
			 Cambridge City Council 5,896 
			 Cannock Chase District Council 3,615 
			 Canterbury City Council 4,304 
			 Caradon District Council 6,328 
			 Cardiff County Council 7,717 
			 Carlisle City Council 4,239 
			 Carmarthenshire County Council 6,316 
			 Carrick District Council 4,292 
			 Castle Morpeth Borough Council 4,845 
			 Castle Point Borough Council 3,925 
			 Ceredigion County Council 24,077 
			 Charnwood Borough Council 4,208 
			 Chelmsford Borough Council 4,228 
			 Cheltenham Borough Council 6,508 
			 Cherwell District Council 4,874 
			 Chester City Council 4,768 
			 Chesterfield Borough Council 3,802 
			 Chester-le-Street District Council 3,706 
			 Chichester District Council 3,984 
			 Chiltern District Council 3,628 
			 Chorley Borough Council 5,886 
			 Christchurch Borough Council 3,670 
			 City and County of Swansea 5,227 
			 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council 6,822 
			 City of York Council 4,632 
			 Colchester Borough Council 4,274 
			 Congleton Borough Council 4,292 
			 Conwy County Borough Council 5,744 
			 Copeland Borough Council 3,615 
			 Corby Borough Council 3,539 
			 Corporation of London 3,889 
			 Cotswold District Council 4,480 
			 Council of The Isles of Scilly 5,746 
			 Coventry City Council 5,835 
			 Craven District Council 4,219 
			 Crawley Borough Council 4,139 
			 Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council 19,189 
			 Cyngor Gwynedd 6,655 
			 Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon 9,526 
			 Dacorum Borough Council 4,447 
			 Darlington Borough Council 3,642 
			 Dartford Borough Council 3,615 
			 Daventry District Council 3,807 
			 Denbighshire County Council 3,849 
			 Derby City Council 6,068 
			 Derbyshire Dales District Council 5,766 
			 Derwentside District Council 4,017 
			 District of Easington 3,695 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council 5,678 
			 Dover District Council 4,137 
			 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 6,130 
			 Durham City Council 3,620 
			 East Cambridgeshire District Council 4,054 
			 East Devon District Council 5,830 
			 East Dorset District Council' 3,667 
			 East Hampshire District Council 4,574 
			 East Herts Council 6,459 
			 East Lindsey District Council 8,081 
			 East Northamptonshire District Council 3,558 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Council 5,360 
			 East Staffordshire Borough Council 3,621 
			 Eastbourne Borough Council 5,882 
			 Eastleigh Borough Council 3,528 
			 Eden District Council 6,756 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council 5,824 
			 Elmbridge Borough Council 5,750 
			 Epping Forest District Council 5,609 
			 Epsom and Ewell Borough Council 3,644 
			 Erewash Borough Council 4,160 
			 Exeter City Council 3,646 
			 Fareham Borough Council 3,521 
			 Fenland District Council 5,877 
			 Flintshire County Council 5,772 
			 Forest Heath District Council 3,621 
			 Forest of Dean District Council 5,349 
			 Fylde Borough Council 4,387 
			 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council 4,946 
			 Gedling Borough Council 3,663 
			 Gloucester City Council 3,985 
			 Gosport Borough Council 3,594 
			 Gravesham Borough Council 3,781 
			 Great Yarmouth Borough Council 6,844 
			 Guildford Borough Council 5,355 
			 Halton Borough Council 3,950 
			 Hambleton District Council 3,836 
			 Harborough District Council 4,328 
			 Harlow District Council 3,947 
			 Harrogate Borough Council 5,024 
			 Hart District Council 5,782 
			 Hartlepool Borough Council 3,559 
			 Hastings Borough Council 3,856 
			 Havant Borough Council 3,729 
			 Herefordshire Council 4,489 
			 Hertsmere Borough Council 6,286 
			 High Peak Borough Council 3,615 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council 3,992 
			 Horsham District Council 3,935 
			 Huntingdonshire District Council 4,303 
			 Hyndburn Borough Council 3,758 
			 Ipswich Borough Council 3,650 
			 Isle of Wight Council 4,685 
			 Kennet District Council 3,629 
			 Kerrier District Council 4,706 
			 Kettering Borough Council 3,873 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council 6,074 
			 Kingston upon Hull City Council 4,381 
			 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council 5,917 
			 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council 5,198 
			 Lancaster City Council 5,141 
			 Leeds City Council 14,834 
			 Leicester City Council 5,293 
			 Lewes District Council 3,948 
			 Lichfield District Council 3,676 
			 Lincoln City Council 4,978 
			 Liverpool City Council 8,387 
			 London Borough of Barking and Dagenham 4,768 
			 London Borough of Barnet 6,173 
			 London Borough of Bexley 4,384 
			 London Borough of Brent 6,539 
			 London Borough of Bromley 5,468 
			 London Borough of Camden 6,443 
			 London Borough of Croydon 6,525 
			 London Borough of Ealing 5,360 
			 London Borough of Enfield 5,295 
			 London Borough of Greenwich 5,240 
			 London Borough of Hackney 4,644 
			 London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 5,434 
			 London Borough of Haringey 4,531 
			 London Borough of Harrow 5,215 
			 London Borough of Havering 4,467 
			 London Borough of Hillingdon 4,227 
			 London Borough of Hounslow 7,3 03 
			 London Borough of Islington 5,761 
			 London Borough of Lambeth 6,167 
			 London Borough of Lewisham 5,576 
			 London Borough of Merton 5,672 
			 London Borough of Newham 4,643 
			 London Borough of Redbridge 4,623 
			 London Borough of Richmond upon Thames 4,454 
			 London Borough of Southwark 4,316 
			 London Borough of Sutton 4,765 
			 London Borough of Tower Hamlets 6,421 
			 London Borough of Waltham Forest 6,055 
			 Luton Borough Council 6,469 
			 Macclesfield Borough Council 5,445 
			 Maidstone Borough Council 5,968 
			 Maldon District Council 3,523 
			 Malvern Hills District Council 6,534 
			 Manchester City Council 9,390 
			 Mansfield District Council 3,615 
			 Medway Council 4,869 
			 Melton Borough Council 4,097 
			 Mendip District Council 4,054 
			 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 6,645 
			 Mid Bedfordshire District Council 4,308 
			 Mid Devon District Council 3,615 
			 Mid Suffolk District Council 4,772 
			 Mid Sussex District Council 3,793 
			 Middlesbrough Council 4,412 
			 Milton Keynes Council 4,309 
			 Mole Valley District Council 3,629 
			 Monmouthshire County Council 7,127 
			 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 4,308 
			 New Forest District Council 4,310 
			 Newark and Sherwood District Council 4,156 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne City Council 5,945 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council 4,164 
			 Newport City Council 3,734 
			 North Cornwall District Council 5,285 
			 North Devon District Council 5,183 
			 North Dorset District Council 4,521 
			 North East Derbyshire District Council 3,668 
			 North East Lincolnshire Council 7,258 
			 North Hertfordshire District Council 4,843 
			 North Kesteven District Council 4,083 
			 North Lincolnshire Council 5,029 
			 North Norfolk District Council 7,221 
			 North Shropshire District Council 6,090 
			 North Somerset Council 4,463 
			 North Tyneside Council 4,750 
			 North Warwickshire Borough Council 18,634 
			 North West Leicestershire District Council 4,102 
			 North Wiltshire District Council 6,776 
			 Northampton Borough Council 4,854 
			 Norwich City Council 5,887 
			 Nottingham City Council 4,321 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council 3,579 
			 Oadby and Wigston Borough Council 4,216 
			 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 19,339 
			 Oswestry Borough Council 3,872 
			 Oxford City Council 4,208 
			 Pembrokeshire County Council 4,112 
			 Pendle Borough Council 5,640 
			 Penwith District Council 18,720 
			 Peterborough City Council 4,461 
			 Plymouth City Council 7,104 
			 Poole Borough Council 4,282 
			 Portsmouth City Council 6,589 
			 Powys County Council 12,091 
			 Preston City Council 4,128 
			 Purbeck District Council 4,767 
			 Reading Borough Council 5,841 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 4,235 
			 Redditch Borough Council 3,618 
			 Reigate and Banstead Borough Council 4,064 
			 Restormel Borough Council 3,768 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council 6,274 
			 Ribble Valley Borough Council 5,237 
			 Richmondshire District Council 5,828 
			 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 6,672 
			 Rochford District Council 3,631 
			 Rossendale Borough Council 3,782 
			 Rother District Council 4,403 
			 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 4,563 
			 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 4,649 
			 Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 5,411 
			 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 5,864 
			 Rugby Borough Council 3,686 
			 Runnymede Borough Council 5,788 
			 Rushcliffe Borough Council 4,294 
			 Rushmoor Borough Council 3,615 
			 Rutland County Council 4,451 
			 Ryedale District Council 3,666 
			 Salford City Council 4,996 
			 Salisbury District Council 3,609 
			 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council 5,499 
			 Scarborough Borough Council 6,710 
			 Sedgefield Borough Council 3,552 
			 Sedgemoor District Council 3,776 
			 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council 8,010 
			 Selby District Council 3,648 
			 Sevenoaks District Council 4,119 
			 Sheffield City Council 6,656 
			 Shepway District Council 4,995 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council 4,468 
			 Slough Borough Council 5,745 
			 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council 4,328 
			 South Bedfordshire District Council 3,661 
			 South Bucks District Council 3,991 
			 South Cambridgeshire District Council 4,307 
			 South Derbyshire District Council 3,616 
			 South Gloucestershire Council 4,263 
			 South Hams District Council 3,663 
			 South Holland District Council 4,330 
			 South Kesteven District Council 4,372 
			 South Lakeland District Council 7,820 
			 South Norfolk District Council 4,202 
			 South Northamptonshire Council 3,634 
			 South Oxfordshire District Council 5,967 
			 South Ribble Borough Council 5,748 
			 South Shropshire District Council 5,771 
			 South Somerset District Council 5,025 
			 South Staffordshire Council 4,143 
			 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council 4,626 
			 Southampton City Council 5,611 
			 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council 5,316 
			 Spelthorne Borough Council 5,744 
			 St. Albans City and District Council 6,656 
			 St. Edmundsbury Borough Council 3,794 
			 St. Helens Council 5,235 
			 Stafford Borough Council 4,299 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council 3,519 
			 Stevenage Borough Council 3,933 
			 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council 6,234 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 4,208 
			 Stoke-on-Trent City Council 4,400 
			 Stratford-on-Avon District Council 7,409 
			 Stroud District Council 3,704 
			 Suffolk Coastal District Council 5,744 
			 Sunderland City Council 6,909 
			 Surrey Heath Borough Council 3,573 
			 Swale Borough Council 3,657 
			 Swindon Borough Council 4,234 
			 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council 4,492 
			 Tamworth Borough Council 3,979 
			 Tandridge District Council 3,933 
			 Taunton Deane Borough Council 4,434 
			 Teesdale District Council 5,873 
			 Teignbridge District Council 5,073 
			 Telford and Wrekin Council 4,720 
			 Tendring District Council 4,453 
			 Test Valley Borough Council 3,763 
			 Tewkesbury Borough Council 4,610 
			 Thanet District Council 3,624 
			 Three Rivers District Council 3,990 
			 Thurrock Council 4,964 
			 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council 3,728 
			 Torbay Council 5,484 
			 Torfaen County Borough Council 4,001 
			 Torridge District Council 6,025 
			 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council 4,694 
			 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 4,214 
			 Tynedale District Council 4,764 
			 Uttlesford District Council 4,788 
			 Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council 3,953 
			 Vale of White Horse District Council 5,885 
			 Vale Royal Borough Council 4,378 
			 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council 6,273 
			 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council 7,284 
			 Wandsworth Borough Council 5,783 
			 Wansbeck District Council 4,077 
			 Warrington Borough Council 4,852 
			 Warwick District Council 3,748 
			 Watford Borough Council 5,942 
			 Waveney District Council 3,895 
			 Waverley Borough Council 4,315 
			 Wealden District Council 5,626 
			 Wear Valley District Council 3,812 
			 Wellingborough Borough Council 4,415 
			 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 4,373 
			 West Berkshire Council 4,556 
			 West Devon Borough Council 4,015 
			 West Dorset District Council 4,755 
			 West Lancashire District Council 3,726 
			 West Lindsey District Council 3,632 
			 West Oxfordshire District Council 3,804 
			 West Somerset District Council 5,093 
			 West Wiltshire District Council 6,110 
			 Westminster City Council 4,874 
			 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council 3,762 
			 Wigan Council 5,962 
			 Winchester City Council 3,739 
			 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council 7,847 
			 Woking Borough Council 3,519 
			 Wokingham District Council 5,137 
			 Wolverhampton City Council 4,353 
			 Worcester City Council 5,231 
			 Worthing Borough Council 3,935 
			 Wrexham County Borough Council 5,402 
			 Wychavon District Council 3,876 
			 Wycombe District Council 6,433 
			 Wyre Borough Council 3,826 
			 Wyre Forest District Council 4,488 
			 Total 1,958,321 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Valuation Joint Boards in Scotland 
			  Joint Valuation Board  Maximum payment (£) 
			 Central Scotland 22,588 
			 Dunbartonshire 23,370 
			 Lanarkshire 46,443 
			 Ayrshire 27,515 
			 Highland 20,120 
			 Orkney and Shetland 4,424 
			 Grampian 44,434 
			 Tayside 30,327 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 26,729 
			 Fife 26,746 
			 Lothian 58,120 
			 Glasgow 46,152 
			 Renfrewshire 35,576 
			 Scottish Borders 9,581 
			 Total 422,125

Electronic Warfare

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of an electromagnetic pulse strike caused  (a) deliberately and  (b) through solar activity on the critical infrastructure of his Department.

Michael Wills: We regularly review our business continuity and resilience plans, informed by assessments made by central agencies. Our plans provide for a flexible response to disruption of infrastructure and critical activities from the range of threats and hazards. For security reasons we do not disclose assessment of individual threat sources or of any particular vulnerability. We recognise that the potential hazard posed by solar activity is expected to increase in 2012 and we will be reviewing this threat when further scientific evidence becomes available.

National Offender Management Service: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding was provided in Birmingham for  (a) the Probation Service,  (b) youth offending teams and  (c) the National Offender Management Service in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Neither the National Probation Service nor the National
	Offender Management Service have allocated funding specifically for Birmingham.
	The National Probation Service was established in April 2001 and has allocated funding to the West Midlands Probation Area, which includes Birmingham, as shown in the following table. Before April 2001 the probation services were delivered by local authorities and details of funding allocations are not held centrally.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial Year  
			 2001-02 37,865,000 
			 2002-03 38,581,000 
			 2003-04 41,932,000 
			 2004-05 44,076,000 
			 2005-06 50,140,000 
			 2006-07 53,377,000 
			 2007-08 55,055,000 
			 2008-09 59,331,000 
			 2009-10 57,484,000 
		
	
	The Youth Justice Board, which was established in October 1998, has allocated funding to the Birmingham Youth Offending Team as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial Year  
			 1999-00 428,547 
			 2000-01 901,804 
			 2001-02 1,905,535 
			 2002-03 2,512,812 
			 2003-04 1,933,682 
			 2004-05 2,447,030 
			 2005-06 3,095,862 
			 2006-07 3,131,725 
			 2007-08 3,281,517 
			 2008-09 3,755,001 
			 2009-10 3,630,285

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults that resulted in  (a) serious injury and  (b) hospitalisation took place in English and Welsh prisons in each year since 2006.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has a responsibility to keep prisoners, staff and visitors safe. The management of violence and its reduction, including support for staff, is central to successful prison management. It is fundamental to NOMS objectives and vital to achieving the broad aims of safer custody.
	Every establishment, whether private or public, has a local violence reduction strategy which engages all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and personal safety. This includes environmental and physical measures, as well as alternative ways of managing behaviour.
	The information requested is shown in the following table. The NOMS uses data drawn from large administrative databases which capture a wide range of information recorded locally by individual prisons. Data for 2009 is currently being checked and validated.
	
		
			  Assault Incidents  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total assaults resulting in serious injury 1,057 1,148 1,177 
			 Serious injury and in-patient admission 183 161 184 
			 Other assaults not serious injury resulting in in-patient admission 52 49 49 
			 Total assaults resulting in in-patient admission 235 210 233

Prisons: Disciplinary Proceedings

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Prison Service Order 1300 formal investigations have taken place in each prison in each year since 2006.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of formal investigations conducted under Prison Service Order 1300 in each prison, in each year, since 2006 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Establishment  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Acklington 7 8 16 12 1 
			 Albany 1 1 0 2 0 
			 Altcourse 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashfield 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashwell 5 6 18 10 3 
			 Askham Grange 3 3 2 2 0 
			 Aylesbury 13 15 15 15 5 
			 Bedford 14 5 10 8 0 
			 Belmarsh 12 15 45 38 10 
			 Birmingham 40 44 8 31 7 
			 Blantyre House 0 1 4 1 0 
			 Blundeston 6 7 7 6 4 
			 Brinsford 12 5 12 15 7 
			 Bristol 12 10 8 5 0 
			 Brixton 45 44 78 86 12 
			 Bronzefield 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Buckley Hall 12 16 10 8 1 
			 Bullingdon 13 12 14 14 6 
			 Bullwood Hall 11 4 3 6 0 
			 Bure 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Camp Hill 6 7 7 2 0 
			 Canterbury (incl. foreign nationals) 8 10 4 3 3 
			 Cardiff 21 12 14 18 1 
			 Castington 1 6 7 2 2 
			 Channings Wood 4 13 12 13 2 
			 Chelmsford 6 17 11 9 4 
			 Coldingley 7 10 10 7 3 
			 Cookham Wood 3 4 9 3 1 
			 Dartmoor 15 17 20 19 6 
			 Deerbolt 4 7 9 16 6 
			 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorchester 2 7 8 13 1 
			 Dover Immigration Removal Centre 6 2 5 5 0 
			 Downview 1 9 4 8 0 
			 Drake Hall 3 1 0 4 0 
			 Durham 10 12 31 13 6 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 0 6 0 
			 Eastwood Park 9 4 7 10 2 
			 Edmunds Hill 9 11 7 5 0 
			 Elmley 23 22 27 4 2 
			 Erlestoke 12 18 14 11 3 
			 Everthorpe 4 13 10 3 3 
			 Exeter 0 2 6 6 1 
			 Featherstone 16 12 14 13 4 
			 Feltham 29 22 29 40 8 
			 Ford 3 4 4 7 4 
			 Foston Hall 6 5 12 11 2 
			 Frankland 15 3 15 12 2 
			 Full Sutton 11 11 23 79 2 
			 Garth 10 7 20 17 5 
			 Gartree 10 16 11 20 2 
			 Glen Parva 10 9 15 11 5 
			 Gloucester 2 4 6 8 0 
			 Grendon 6 0 7 11 5 
			 Guys Marsh 15 21 14 29 7 
			 Haslar Immigration Removal Centre 4 8 7 1 0 
			 Haverigg Camp 6 13 13 1 0 
			 Headquarters 21 19 54 68 18 
			 Hewell (Houseblocks 1-8) 30 24 16 20 3 
			 High Down 13 19 20 23 6 
			 Highpoint 4 12 8 10 1 
			 Hindley 12 17 19 16 2 
			 Hollesley Bay 3 4 2 3 1 
			 Holloway 37 22 3 5 1 
			 Holme House 3 2 7 18 2 
			 Hull 15 27 5 6 0 
			 Huntercombe 3 8 11 0 0 
			 Isis 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Isle of Wight 0 0 0 7 2 
			 Kennet 0 2 6 11 2 
			 Kingston 3 5 12 15 2 
			 Kirkham 10 5 6 4 0 
			 Kirklevington 3 2 6 6 0 
			 Lancaster Castle 2 5 11 6 3 
			 Lancaster Farms 7 12 17 14 5 
			 Latchmere House 3 1 1 0 1 
			 Leeds 13 19 10 7 1 
			 Leicester 3 3 6 11 3 
			 Lewes 6 19 10 14 1 
			 Leyhill 1 4 8 4 0 
			 Lincoln 13 13 11 13 5 
			 Lindholme 4 10 20 12 2 
			 Littlehey 9 13 1 13 4 
			 Liverpool 10 23 21 23 4 
			 Long Lartin 12 7 26 46 8 
			 Low Newton 2 8 17 20 2 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Maidstone 15 19 19 13 2 
			 Manchester 26 32 56 17 8 
			 Moorland Closed 1 6 9 13 1 
			 Moorland Open 0 2 1 0 0 
			 Morton Hall 4 6 2 5 1 
			 New Hall 13 13 7 6 6 
			 North Sea Camp 5 7 6 9 4 
			 Northallerton 4 10 12 10 0 
			 Norwich 7 9 9 8 1 
			 Nottingham 6 15 10 11 4 
			 Onley 9 32 11 12 6 
			 Parkhurst 6 14 9 6 0 
			 Pentonville 51 52 27 11 0 
			 Portland 4 4 10 6 3 
			 Preston 13 11 22 16 5 
			 Ranby 24 17 35 20 5 
			 Reading 9 14 5 6 1 
			 Risley 22 10 16 7 4 
			 Rochester 7 9 9 20 2 
			 Send 5 10 6 16 3 
			 Shepton Mallet 1 2 1 1 0 
			 Shrewsbury 1 5 6 4 1 
			 Stafford 21 14 4 8 4 
			 Standford Hill 3 8 10 3 1 
			 Stocken 8 5 3 1 2 
			 Stoke Heath 20 11 26 13 5 
			 Styal 7 7 5 0 0 
			 Sudbury 1 3 11 6 1 
			 Swaleside 15 15 12 8 1 
			 Swansea 4 8 9 2 0 
			 Swinfen Hall 9 9 5 15 5 
			 The Mount 19 19 14 6 3 
			 The Verne 12 9 13 7 2 
			 Thorn Cross 8 6 12 8 1 
			 Usk/Prescoed 5 12 9 12 0 
			 Wakefield 6 12 11 14 1 
			 Wandsworth 32 26 45 31 7 
			 Warren Hill 5 8 3 1 2 
			 Wayland 6 3 5 4 1 
			 Wealstun 8 12 12 14 1 
			 Wellingborough 8 15 8 16 2 
			 Werrington House 6 7 6 3 0 
			 Wetherby 4 12 8 7 0 
			 Whatton 6 9 6 19 1 
			 Whitemoor 14 18 25 23 6 
			 Winchester 13 14 21 10 6 
			 Wolds 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Woodhill 11 6 22 13 4 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 16 30 43 25 7 
			 Wymott 19 15 12 17 3 
			 Totals 1,264 1,453 1,644 1,599 352 
			  Notes:  1. These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  2. This information is based on data extracted from a central investigations database (now historic) and data provided by die National Offender Management Service during March 2010.  3. Information has been collated according to the calendar year  1 January through to 31 December.  4. Since 1 April 2004 the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigates and produces reports about all deaths in prison custody. As a result these figures are not included.

Probation Officers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely change to the number of  (a) probation officer and  (b) probation service officer posts in Wales in financial year 2010-11.

Maria Eagle: The amalgamation of the four probation providers into a single trust will yield savings of about £1.5 million taken from non-delivery functions. This supports front-line delivery by allowing about 34 full-time equivalent probation officers' posts across Wales to be funded from these savings.
	Under the planning assumptions for the trust, during 2010-11 improvements to the trust's workforce planning and case management may result in an overall reduction of up to 28 probation officer posts (POs) and up to two probation service officer posts (PSOs) across Wales. However, additional funding has been granted for offender service provision, which is currently under discussion between the Director of Offender Management in Wales and probation. Any new services agreed with probation would result in the retention of some posts to deliver the services. These discussions are being concluded as quickly as possible.

Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will collect and publish re-offending rates for each prison or cluster.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice is currently undertaking a programme of work to investigate this issue, better to determine whether meaningful data on the reoffending of former prisoners from individual institutions can be produced. It is our intention to publish some findings from this work in November 2010 in a new publication which will include a range of data and analysis on reoffending which is not covered by the existing published statistics.

Young Offender Institutions: Equality

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young offender institutions have diversity manager posts; and how many such posts are vacant;
	(2)  what provision is made for children with a disability in young offender institutions;
	(3)  how many young offender institutions have a race equality and diversity communication strategy; and when each was last revised;
	(4)  how many young offender institutions have diversity representative posts; and how many such posts are vacant.

Maria Eagle: Prison Service Orders (PSO) 2800 (Race Equality) and 2855 (Prisoners with Disabilities) require prisons to have a designated member of staff to act as a liaison for race equality and for disability issues.
	Locally prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) may choose to have a diversity manager to oversee equality issues generally. In addition, all have offender representatives supporting the work of local management teams on diversity issues. On 31 December 2009, 16 from 18 YOIs indicated that they had a diversity manager.
	PSO 2855 sets out prisons' and YOIs' requirements for meeting the needs of prisoners with disabilities and how the Prison Service must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (amended 2005). The PSO does not provide guidance on particular disabilities as it is the intention that the individual needs of the offender are assessed and reasonable adjustments made to address the issues raised, rather than adopting a one size fits all policy.
	PSO 2800 requires prisons and YOIs to have a race equality communication strategy setting out how they will communicate and consult with staff, prisoners and visitors. Information on the management of equality in prisons and YOIs is collected quarterly through a questionnaire designed by the NOMS Race and Equalities Action Group. Every YOI reports having a race equality communication strategy. Data are not collected centrally on revision dates.

Young Offender Institutions: Food

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of providing food in each of the young offender institutions holding juveniles was in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The average Prison Service daily food expenditure per prisoner(1) in public sector young offender institutions holding juveniles during 2008-09 (latest available data) is shown in the table.
	(1) The daily food cost has been calculated using available management information from NOMS finance systems and assumes that all transactions have been allocated and recorded against the correct accounting codes.
	
		
			  Average daily cost of food per prisoner, 2008-09 
			   £ 
			 Brinsford 2.40 
			 Castington 2.51 
			 Cookham Wood(1) 2.84 
			 Downview 2.21 
			 Eastwood Park 2.58 
			 Feltham 3.20 
			 Foston Hall 2.41 
			 Hindley 2.50 
			 Huntercombe 2.60 
			 New Hall 2.46 
			 Stoke Heath 2.47 
			 Warren Hill(2) 2.61 
			 Werrington 3.20 
			 Wetherby 2.58 
			 (1 )Includes Rochester as their kitchen also provides meals for Cookham Wood and it is not possible to separate food costs for the two sites.  (2) Includes Hollesley Bay as their kitchen also provides meals for Warren Hill and it is not possible to separate food costs for the two sites.

Young Offender Institutions: Food

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which young offender institutions observe guidelines on providing five pieces of fruit or vegetables a day;
	(2)  what steps the Prison Service is taking to implement Department of Health guidance on healthy eating.

Maria Eagle: Young offender institutions in England and Wales provide a multi-choice, pre-select menu that includes healthy options. Caterers are issued with guidance to provide five portions of fruit and vegetables each day and are expected to meet this requirement.
	There are a number of initiatives to encourage healthy eating including working towards food specifications with reduced sugar and salt content, favouring steaming and baking rather than shallow and deep frying and avoiding adding salt and sugar during the cooking process. A balanced approach to nutrition is being pursued in line with the Department of Health's guidelines.
	Educating all prisoners, including young offenders, to eat a more healthy diet is key. Increasingly the National Offender Management Service is adopting a multi-disciplinary approach and working with the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency and others to encourage individual prisoners to eat more healthily.

Young Offender Institutions: Languages

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many children in young offender institutions do not have English as a first language;
	(2)  how many children in young offender institutions do not speak English.

Maria Eagle: Data on the number of young people in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) who do not speak English, or whose first language is not English, is not collected centrally. In order to meet foreign language needs in YOIs, translations, or explanations through an interpreter, of important information must be available for all young people whose first language is not English. Interpreters can also be provided to supplement translated material.

Young Offender Institutions: Languages

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of bullying or harassment of children who do not speak English as a first language were recorded in young offender institutions in each year since 2006.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service does not collect data centrally on either incidents of the bullying or harassment of prisoners in young offender institutions, or of children who do not speak English as a first language.
	Each young offender institution has arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of the young people in its care, including strategies for child protection, suicide and self-harm prevention and violence reduction.

Young Offender Institutions: Languages

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many young offender institutions there is a routine assessment of the language skills of children when they are admitted.

Maria Eagle: There is no routine assessment of a young person's language ability. However we are working with the Communication Trust to improve awareness and support for young people in the youth justice system who have communication needs. Supported by DCSF funding, the Communications Trust is taking forward a programme to improve awareness of the importance of young people's communication needs in the secure estate and youth offending teams. The trust is developing training for the youth justice work force and influencing existing work force programmes and National Occupational Standards.

Young Offenders: Hearing Impaired

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many deaf children are in custody in England and Wales.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not collected centrally, and could only be gathered by contacting each establishment individually, which would involve disproportionate cost.
	There is a requirement for all providers of secure accommodation to comply with existing legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. In addition there are further requirements on the different categories of secure establishment to make adequate provision for those with disabilities, including the National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes, contractual agreements with providers and Prison Service Order 2855. These requirements ensure that deaf young people who are in custody receive proper provision.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Aerials: Planning Permission

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many refusals of planning permission for mobile telephone masts by local authorities have been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Austin: The Planning Inspectorate's database classifies appeals relating to mobile telephone masts together with appeals relating to other telecommunications developments. The following table therefore shows data on refusals of planning permission by local authorities for development relating to telecommunications including radio/TV mast, aerial, dish or antenna, that were subsequently allowed on appeal, since 2001, where data is available.
	
		
			   Number of appeals allowed 
			 2001 256 
			 2002 489 
			 2003 391 
			 2004 242 
			 2005 423 
			 2006 485 
			 2007 388 
			 2008 79 
			 2009 91

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 212W, on energy performance certificates, whether he has made an assessment of the effects on customers of the reported errors in the Energy Performance Certificate Register between September 2008 and June 2009; and whether he has made an estimate of the number of incorrect entries in the register made during that period.

Ian Austin: As indicated in my answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 212W, any errors identified as a result of Quality Assurance procedures or customer complaints has been rectified. This has been done at no cost to the consumer. No estimate is available of the number of incorrect entries in the EPC Register made between September 2008 and June 2009.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, the hon. Member for Dewsbury, did not attend the Local Government Association Fire Conference on 10 March 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: I was unable to attend the conference due to ill health.

Fire Services: Catering

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) make,  (b) specification and  (c) cost is of the coffee machines in each of the regional fire control rooms.

Shahid Malik: Regional control centres are equipped to support continuous operations and have high quality facilities including industrial standard kitchens. This allows the buildings to provide for large numbers of staff, for example during large scale emergencies.
	 (a) The coffee machines in the kitchens of each regional control centre are made by Brasilia.
	 (b) The specification is a Gradisca 3 Group.
	 (c) The coffee machines were provided by each developer as part of the construction fit out of the building with the rest of the kitchen equipment. The cost of each coffee machine, associated equipment and training is in the region of five to six thousand pounds.

Fire Services: Greater London

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the regional fire control rooms in London will be operational and live by September 2011.

Shahid Malik: Under current planning assumptions the regional fire control centre for London is due to become operational during September 2011. Planning assumptions are currently under review.

Green Belt: Greater London

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been built in the Metropolitan green belt in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Austin: There is no published information on the proportions of new dwellings built in the green belt below regional level. This information would require additional analysis to assess the robustness of the Land Use Change data at this level of geographical disaggregation.

Green Belt: St. Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were built on land with green belt designation in St. Albans constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Austin: There is no published information on the proportions of new dwellings built in the green belt below regional level.

Home Buying Stakeholder Advisory Panel

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates the Home Buying Stakeholder Advisory Panel has met; and if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of each of its meetings.

Ian Austin: The stakeholder advisory panel on home buying and selling met on 25 July 2007, 11 October 2007, 12 December 2007, 19 March 2008, 4 June 2008 and 4 November 2008.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 22 May 2008,  Official Report, column 453W, which dealt with the minutes of the meetings of the panel.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proposals he has for the reform of the Housing Revenue Account subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I intend to make an announcement and publish a summary of responses to the consultation shortly.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish further proposals for reform of the Housing Revenue Account subsidy system; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I intend to make a further announcement and publish a summary of responses to the consultation shortly.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to end the transfer out of the national housing revenue account (HRA) of HRA surpluses paid for from tenants' rent with effect from 2010-11.

John Healey: The HRA Subsidy Determination for 2010-11 was published on 3 February.
	We intend to make an announcement shortly which will outline the progress we have made on self-financing, set out more details of our proposals and provide a summary of responses to the consultation.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what percentage of new  (a) affordable and  (b) privately built homes had (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) four or more bedrooms in each local authority area in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what percentage of new  (a) affordable and  (b) privately-built homes were (a) flats and (b) houses in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Tables will be placed in the Library of the House which shows the percentage of social rented and affordable homes delivered through the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme by the number of bedrooms and by houses or flats for each local authority area. These figures are only available from the Homes and Communities Agency's Investment Management System, so will not cover the total number of new build social rent and affordable homes.
	Not all affordable housing is provided through new build completions, supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In 2008-09, a total of 55,770 additional affordable homes, of which 31,090 were for social rent homes, were provided.
	Information on new privately built homes by bedroom size or dwelling type for each local authority area is not available.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local planning authorities in England have at least one accredited assessor for Building for Life; whether it is his Department's policy to require all local authorities to have at least one accredited assessor; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: 160 local planning authorities in England have at least one accredited Building for Life assessor as a result of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's (CABE) Building for Life accredited assessor training programme. CLG's policies do not require local authorities to become accredited assessors. However, Planning Policy Statement 3 gives clear direction to local planning authorities to deliver well-designed housing and monitor and report on progress. Building for Life is a useful approach that enables local authorities to do that.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many development plans submitted as part of the Kickstart Round 1 process were deemed  (a) very good,  (b) good,  (c) average and  (d) poor when first assessed against the Building for Life standard.

Ian Austin: Details of the breakdown of Building for Life scores under Kickstart round 1 can be found on the Homes and Communities Agency website:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/public/documents/Kickstart_Round%20_1_Review.pdf
	The HCA and CABE will produce detailed reports on all aspects of the delivery of Kickstart rounds 1 and 2 following the conclusion of the round 2 assessment process. These reports will include information on the design assessments undertaken.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many assessments were added to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's Assessment Register in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: The register of formal Building for Life assessments was launched on 30 September 2009. No assessments were registered with CABE in 2007 or 2008. 90 assessments were registered in 2009. Further assessments have been conducted by others but are not formally recognised or recorded.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Building for Life assessments carried out for Kickstart developments have been reassessed following a request from  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency and  (b) the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) commissioned the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment to carry out Building for Life assessments on Kickstart Round 1 schemes. For the lower scoring schemes, HCA supplemented these assessments with further information to enable the suitability of bids to be considered in their wider community and local authority context.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what annual fees are charged by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment for continued accreditation for Building for Life assessors.

Ian Austin: There is currently no annual fee charged by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment for continued accreditation of Building for Life assessors.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what payments were made by the Homes and Communities Agency to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency paid to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment for its assessment of the Kickstart schemes against its Building for Life criteria.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency was created on 1 December 2008. The following payments have been made to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment:
	December 2008 to March 2009: £125,304
	April 2009 to date: £458,278 of which £244,332 is for CABE's assessment of Kickstart schemes against its Building for Life criteria, to date.
	All figures exclude VAT.

Housing: Standards

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council and housing association homes in Birmingham did not meet the decent homes standard in each year since 1997; and how much funding his Department provided to upgrade council and housing association homes in Birmingham in each of those years.

Ian Austin: The information requested is provided in the following table. This is drawn from the Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA)-Annual Monitoring data from Local Authorities, published by CLG. The RSL data are from the Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR), published by the Tenant Services Authority.
	The figures for funding provided by the Department are set out in the second table. The Major Repairs Allowance and the Local Authority Supported Capital Expenditure are not used exclusively for Decent Homes expenditure. We do not provide funding to RSLs.
	
		
			  Social housing stock-Birmingham 
			   Local authority  RSL  Total social sector 
			   All stock  Non-decents  All stock  Non-decents  All stock  Non-decents 
			 2001 85,500 53,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002 80,900 56,900 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003 76,700 51,700 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2004 72,900 49,300 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005 70,400 43,700 38,600 4,900 109,100 48,600 
			 2006 68,200 34,900 38,900 4,600 107,100 39,500 
			 2007 66,800 23,000 39,200 4,000 106,000 27,000 
			 2008 65,700 14,400 39,400 2,600 105,100 17,000 
			 2009 64,800 7,100 39,700 1,400 104,400 8,500 
			  Note: Figures rounded to nearest hundred 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   LASCE( 1)  MRA( 2) 
			 1997-98 61,838,161 n/a 
			 1998-99 61,815,478 n/a 
			 1999-2000 60,087,942 n/a 
			 2000-01 59,979,798 n/a 
			 2001-02 58,015,822 42,624,554 
			 2002-03 55,175,337 41,616,934 
			 2003-04 55,300,203 39,844,656 
			 2004-05 45,050,978 39,682,548 
			 2005-06 47,952,457 39,422,670 
			 2006-07 46,914,415 38,807,225 
			 2007-08 44,992,723 40,273,716 
			 2008-09 41,183,689 41,009,973 
			 2009-10 37,873,808 40,722,499 
			 (1) LASCE-local authority supported capital expenditure (2) MRA-major repairs allowance

Multiple Occupation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect the conversion of a house in multiple occupation to a single dwelling has on the calculation of the number of housing units under the criteria used to assess housing levels  (a) nationally and  (b) under the housing target in the London Plan.

Ian Austin: The conversion of a house in multiple occupation to a single dwelling would have no effect on the estimate of dwelling numbers nationally. This is because a house in multiple occupation is counted as one dwelling.
	The housing numbers in the Mayor's London Plan include "non self-contained" accommodation. In London, therefore, conversion of a house in multiple occupation would result in a reduction in "non self-contained" accommodation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 1153-54W, on non-domestic rates: ports, for what reason the Valuation Office Agency decided  (a) in 2002 that Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprise should not be separately rated and  (b) in 2009 that it should be separately rated.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Valuation Office Agency determined that Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises should not form a separate assessment in 2002 on the back of information they were provided at the time. However the facts now show the fish market should be separately assessed for business rates.
	Where a change has been made to alter the rating lists this has been as a consequence of new information that alters the overall balance in terms of the decision on paramount occupation. The decision as to who is in paramount control, and therefore who should be rated, rests on the facts of each case.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance was provided to the Valuation Office Agency on steps to ensure that the assessment and rating of port businesses consequent on the end of prescription rating were separate processes.

Barbara Follett: The assessment of rateable value and the maintenance of rating lists is the responsibility of the Valuation Office Agency and not this Department. We do not provide guidance to the Valuation Office Agency on professional valuation issues.

Sleeping Rough: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of rough sleepers in York in the  (a) summer and  (b) winter of (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: Since 1998 an annual figure for rough sleeping has been published. There were 12 rough sleepers found on a street count in York in 1998 and good progress has been made with only two found in 2009.
	The total number of rough sleepers has fallen to 464 in 2009 based on local authority street counts compared to the 1998 baseline of 1,850.

Sleeping Rough: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many open access beds for rough sleepers there are in York and how many such beds were provided in 1997.

Ian Austin: This Department does not collect information on the number of open access beds for rough sleepers. Under our £90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme we have invested over £2 million on the new Arclight hostel for rough sleepers in York to replace the poor quality night shelter.

Tackling Antisocial Behaviour

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 210W, on antisocial behaviour, how many copies of the leaflet on tackling antisocial behaviour were delivered to each local authority listed.

Barbara Follett: A report has been deposited in the Library of the House which sets out the number of copies of the Tackling Antisocial Behaviour leaflet that were delivered to each local authority.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2001,  Official Report, column 216W, on tenancy deposit schemes; if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and each tenancy deposit scheme provider.

Ian Austin: The contracts between Communities and Local Government and the tenancy deposit protection scheme providers contain, commercially confidential information. I am therefore unable to place copies in the Library.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 216W, on tenancy deposit schemes, what mechanisms are in place to ensure the financial viability of tenancy deposit schemes.

Ian Austin: The contracts under which the tenancy deposit schemes operate are designed to ensure that they continue to be financially viable. Those contracts are commercially sensitive. But I can confirm that the mechanisms which they contain in order to safeguard financial viability include restrictions on investments and agreed method statements based on the schemes' initial business planning assumptions. All these measures are kept under close review.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010,  Official Report, column 216W, on tenancy deposit schemes, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the self-financing aspect of the business models of the private companies under contract to his Department.

Ian Austin: We closely monitor the three tenancy deposit scheme providers with contracts with Communities and Local Government and hold regular contract governance meetings with them. We are satisfied that their business models are adequate to facilitate the ongoing financing of their schemes.

SCOTLAND

Defence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who authorised the issue of his Department's background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence published on 8 March 2010; when the paper was commissioned; who was consulted as part of the preparation of the paper; what estimate he has made of the cost of  (a) producing and  (b) printing the paper; and what steps his Department took to publicise the paper upon publication.

Ann McKechin: The paper was produced by the Scotland Office to provide a factual analysis of the position to help inform debate. It was prepared over the last few months and a number of Ministry of Defence officials were consulted during its drafting to check facts and figures. The paper was agreed to, and the final draft approved by, Defence Ministers.
	As the paper was part of the ongoing work of the Scotland Office, there were no additional, costs involved in its production or printing. It was subsequently made available on the Scotland Office website.

Defence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether special advisers in his Department were involved in the drafting of the background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence.

Ann McKechin: Special advisers in the Scotland Office, work with the Permanent Civil Service, and provide advice and assistance to Ministers across the range of their activities in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Defence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which defence establishments in Scotland he has visited since  (a) taking office in October 2008 and  (b) commissioning the background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence.

Jim Murphy: I have visited a wide range of defence-related establishments throughout Scotland since taking office, including RAF Kinloss, Rosyth dockyard, the shipbuilding yards at Govan and the missile ranges at Uist, where I announced the ranges would remain open for business.
	I also visited the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards at their base in Fallingbostel in Germany as well as welcoming the Black Watch back to Edinburgh following the end of their most recent tour in Afghanistan. I have also been actively involved in visits to defence-related organisations such Erskine and the Army Benevolent Fund and attended Armed Forces Day in Glasgow last year.
	In addition, have visited a number of defence manufacturers including:
	Babcock International Group plc
	BVT
	QinetiQ
	SELEX Galileo
	Thales Optronics UK

Defence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department's paper entitled Scotland and Defence has been discussed at Cabinet.

Ann McKechin: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice and the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many designs for its  (a) internal website and  (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design.

Ann McKechin: There have been no design changes to the Scotland Office intranet since 2005.

Departmental Lost Property

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Ann McKechin: In the last 12 months one item of property has been recorded as lost. The Scotland Office incurred no cost as it was not replaced. No property has been reported stolen in the last 12 months.

TREASURY

Banks: Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to place a cap on bankers' bonuses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 9 March 2010
	 The Government are clear that remuneration policies must be based on long-term sustainable performance in the interests of all shareholders, taking proper account of risk. Therefore, there must be an end to the short-term bonus culture in the banking sector.
	However, the Government also recognise that performance related pay is an important part of rewarding valuable contributions as long as it rewards long-term success and takes an appropriate account of risk. The idea of a bonus cap was rejected by the G20 and the Government do not plan to bring forward proposals to place a cap on banking bonuses.

Child Trust Fund: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in the City of York local authority area have received child trust fund payments  (a) since the scheme's inception and  (b) in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Each child trust fund account that is opened receives a payment of £250 from the Government, with an additional payment of £250 to children in lower-income families. Statistics showing the level of child trust fund accounts opened in each local authority area is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
	This data shows that 10,760 child trust fund accounts had been opened in the York Unitary Authority for children born by 5 April 2008.

Council Tax: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 758W, on council tax: Bromley, if he will place in the Library a table showing the most recent figures for the number of properties with each individual  (a) dwelling house code and  (b) value significant code, including codes for (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) number of floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code, for all local authority areas in England; and what figures the Valuation Office Agency holds for such properties in Wales.

Ian Pearson: The tables of dwelling house codes and value significant codes for each billing authority have not been updated since publication in October 2009 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. A copy of the tables was subsequently placed in the Library. The VOA intends to update these tables on an annual basis and will publish revised tables later in 2010 so that publication can conform to the National Statistics code of practice.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many designs for its  (a) internal website and  (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2008 the HM Treasury intranet underwent a redevelopment. The design costs associated with this were £38,634.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed by HM Treasury to assist the special advisers and Council of Economic Advisers is 4.5, comprising of 2 full-time range Ds, 1 part-time range C and 2 full-time range Bs.

EU Budget

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage change in the UK's net contribution to the EU budget between 2008-09 and 2010-11.

Ian Pearson: The latest estimate of UK net contributions to the EU Budget are £4.2 billion in 2007-08, £3.0 billion in 2008-09, £4.8 billion in 2009-10 and £6.0 billion in 2010-11, as given in footnote 3 of Table B15 of the December 2009 pre-Budget report.

Greater Manchester

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department policies since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk./
	The Government have put in place a broad programme of reform since 1997. Over the decade to 2007, the economic performance of all parts of the UK has improved considerably.
	The global recession has had a negative impact on economic activity in all areas of the UK. However, the economy was starting from a position of strength and is actively supported by policies implemented by the Government, including the fiscal stimulus and a significant package of support for those out of work.
	In Gorton people are benefiting from this investment. Since the middle of 2009, more than 730 people moved off of the claimant count each month on average. At the beginning of 2010, claimant count unemployment is still nearly 18 per cent. lower and long-term youth unemployment 85 per cent. lower than in May 1997.

Investment Income Surcharge

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 17 July 2008,  Official Report, column 629W, on investment income surcharge, what the equivalent figure is for 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: The exemption limit above which the investment income surcharge of 15 per cent. applied was £7,100 for 1983-84, the last year before the investment income surcharge was abolished. The level of the exemption limit which would have applied for 2008-09 is £19,800 under annual statutory indexation based on changes in the retail price index with rounding up each year to the nearest multiple of £100.
	Applying a rate of surcharge of 15 per cent. to individual's investment income above an exemption limit of £19,800 would yield around £3.7 billion in respect of the 2008-09 tax year, although most of this income would not be received until the following year.
	This estimate is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 2006-07 projected forward in line with the 2009 pre-Budget report assumptions. The figure excludes any estimate of behavioural response which could be considerable given the extent of the change.

Israel: EU External Trade

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs  (a) refused preference for and  (b) investigated consignments of imports from Israel under the EU-Israel Trade Agreement in respect of (i) two consignments with commodity code 33079000, refused in August 2009, (ii) one consignment with commodity code 34013000, refused in November 2009 and (iii) one consignment with commodity code 34013000, under investigation.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs refused preference for the three consignments in question as documentary checks confirmed that the place of production was in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For the remaining consignment with commodity code 34013000, HMRC are awaiting confirmation of the place of production.

Public and Commercial Services Union

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from the Public and Commercial Services Union on the job security of its members who work for his Department and its agencies.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Revenue and Customs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures are in place to communicate agreed redundancy and relocation arrangements to staff at HM Revenue and Customs offices which are scheduled to close.

Stephen Timms: On 13 January 2010 HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) confirmed that 130 of its offices, previously announced for closure during the Department's Workforce Change Regional Review Programme, would close during 2010-11.
	The Department has put in place a range of measures to communicate with and provide support to staff who are affected by the announcement. HMRC has, and will continue to consult with trade unions on communication issues.
	Staff who are unable to relocate have been declared surplus and are entitled to volunteer for compulsory early severance or compulsory early retirement, to leave HMRC by 31 March 2010.
	Meetings were held in each office affected on 13 January to explain the consequences of the announcement. These meetings were supported by information, including questions and answers, published on HMRC's intranet. A staff dial-in with senior managers was also held on 13 January, and a managers' help line and staff mail-box set up to ensure staff received the information they need about relocation and redundancy arrangements.
	Letters were issued to all affected staff on 15 January confirming their surplus status and providing individuals with an estimated severance quotation. Staff seminars have been held to give people a better understanding of their situation, the options open to them and to provide a further opportunity to ask questions before they make a decision by 26 January.
	Managers will hold individual discussions with all staff who choose not to accept the offer to leave to help them find redeployment opportunities within HMRC or the wider civil service.
	HMRC will continue to provide regular updates for staff on its intranet site and through five regional support teams, with representatives from business units across HMRC, which have been set up both to help people make choices and facilitate closure of the offices.

State Retirement Pensions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to increase the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) by 2.5 per cent. in line with the basic state pension; and what recent guidance his Department has issued to those considering a SERPS pension.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The conventions on uprating state pensions are concerned with maintaining their price value. Had we applied those rules this year, when inflation as measured by the September retail prices index was minus 1.4 per cent. pensioners would not have received a rise in their state pension.
	We decided that the fairest and most effective way of getting help to the 11 million pensioners in the UK was to apply an above earnings increase of 2.5 per cent. to the basic state pension. Because of the statutory link between the additional state pension and public service pensions, any uprating of the additional state pension would impose a burden on taxpayers and also put pensioners with public service pensions at an unfair advantage over those with private sector pensions.
	Leaving additional state pension at current rates this year has no bearing on an individual's decision on whether to contract-out of the state second pension because uprating applies only to additional state pension after a person is in receipt of their pension and does not affect the value of the additional state pension being accrued by people below state pension age. Information for individuals considering whether to contract out of the additional state pension into an occupational pension scheme or personal pension can be found in our leaflet entitled 'Contracted-out pensions' (PM7).

Tax Allowances: Forestry

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to improve the tax incentives to charities engaged in tree planting and reforestation with traditional species of tree.

Ian Pearson: The Government provide a generous range of tax reliefs for charities and donors, worth over £3 billion a year, which provides support to charities whatever their cause. The Chancellor keeps taxes and tax reliefs under ongoing review.
	Charities are also eligible to apply for grants from the Forestry Commission under the Rural Development Programme for England that contribute to the costs of planting native woodlands.
	The Government's 2009 Low Carbon Transition Plan set out its intention to support a new drive to encourage private funding for woodland creation and work is under way to explore the best way of meeting this commitment.

Taxation: Domicile

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what requirements passport holders from  (a) Belize and  (b) each other foreign country must satisfy to be granted non-domicile status in the UK for tax purposes;
	(2)  under what circumstances a person who was born in the UK whose parents were UK citizens and who is a long-term resident of the UK can qualify to be classified as  (a) non-domiciled in the UK for tax purposes and  (b) domiciled in Belize for UK tax purposes;
	(3)  how many people holding Belize passports are classified as non-domiciled in the UK for tax purposes; and on what date each was granted such status.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collect information on the passports held by taxpayers, or keep separate information on domicile in relation to Belize passport holders.
	Certain tax consequences follow from not being domiciled in the UK, but whether or not someone is domiciled in the UK is a matter of general law.
	Under general law, the domicile status of an individual depends closely on the facts and circumstances relating to that individual. HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/domicile-tier2.pdf
	provides guidance on the principles that need to be applied to the facts in determining domicile in any particular case.

Valuation Office Agency: Termination of Employment

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior staff have  (a) resigned and  (b) taken early retirement from the Valuation Office Agency for each reason since 2004.

Ian Pearson: Three senior staff have resigned from the Valuation Office Agency since 1 April 2004. No senior staff have taken early retirement since 1 April 2004.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Boilers: Government Assistance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total cost to his Department of administering the boiler scrappage scheme.

David Kidney: holding answer 9 March 2010
	The Government estimate that the total cost of administering the boiler scrappage scheme over its lifetime will be around £1.8 million which equates to 3.6 per cent. of scheme costs.

Climate Change: Costs

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the net cost to the Exchequer of the Government's Climate Change Agreements in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of the net cost to the Exchequer of the Government's Climate Change Agreements are available in Table 7 of the pre-Budget report Tax Ready Reckoner.

Combined Heat and Power

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the UK's electricity supply was generated from good quality combined heat and power sources in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what his most recent estimate is of the quantity which will be generated from such sources in 2010.

David Kidney: In 2008, 27,911 GWh of electricity was generated from good quality CHP. This equates to 7 per cent. of the UK's electricity supply. Figures for 2009 will become available on the 29 July 2010.
	Recent estimates of CHP development estimate an installed capacity of 7.1MW in 2010. Using the 2008 load factors, this would provide an estimated 36,260GWh of electricity.

Electricity: Disconnections

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many domestic electricity customers were disconnected as a result of non-payment of bills in each year since 1997.

David Kidney: Ofgem publish data on the number of disconnections due to debt. Further information can be found in the following publication:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Monitoring/SoObMonitor/Documents1/2008%20Supplier%20Social%20OBligations%20Annual%20Report.pdf
	The following table includes the total number of disconnections due to debt for electricity in each year from 1997 to 2008. The majority of suppliers reduced their numbers of electricity disconnections in 2008. A large proportion of the increase in the total was due to the impact of a change in regulation which meant that prepayment meters could no longer be installed in some types of properties. Ofgem is currently monitoring the situation.
	
		
			  Disconnections due to debt 
			  Electricity  Number 
			 1997 460 
			 1998 400 
			 1999 373 
			 2000 300 
			 2001 375 
			 2002 995 
			 2003 1,361 
			 2004 727 
			 2005 604 
			 2006 1,258 
			 2007 2,657 
			 2008 2,891 
		
	
	Existing supply licence obligations and an industry agreed code of practice provide a high level of protection for vulnerable consumers in debt. Suppliers must not disconnect a domestic premises during winter (October through to March) if they know, or have reason to believe, that the customer is of pensionable age and lives alone, or only lives with other pensioners or children under the age of 18.

Energy: EC Action

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress has been made on implementation of the EU's third energy package; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The Government are carrying out analysis of the Third Package Directives and Regulations to assess what changes will need to be made to our domestic energy market framework to meet the specified legal requirements. The required changes are to be made by 3 March 2011 and Government will consult stakeholders on implementation of the package during the course of this year.

Energy: Prices

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what provision has been made under mandated social price support in respect of electricity and gas to increase the level of support provided to households not connected to the mains gas network.

David Kidney: Subject to its safe passage, the current Energy Bill will allow the Secretary of State to establish mandated social price support for more of the most vulnerable consumers.
	I have announced my intention, subject to consultation, to require energy suppliers to deliver the new help available under mandated social price support schemes through eligible consumers' electricity accounts.
	I expect the consultation to take place this summer and to be sufficiently wide-ranging to cover the point the right hon. Member raises.
	A rebate on electricity bills is more inclusive, enabling eligible households off the gas grid to benefit alongside eligible households on the gas grid.

Energy: Prices

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the effect of social tariffs in reducing the level of fuel bills in households which rely on heating fuels such as heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas.

David Kidney: Ofgem who monitor the energy suppliers' social programmes, report on the number of gas and electricity customer accounts which benefit from social tariffs and the average savings per tariff. Some of these customers will be off the gas network, however the data available does not give a breakdown of these.
	By March 2009 over 1 million customer accounts were benefiting from a social tariff under the current three year voluntary agreement between Government and the energy suppliers.
	We have proposed legislation for a Social Price Support Scheme in the Energy Bill, which is currently before Parliament. As part of this, we are minded to require energy suppliers to provide help through eligible consumers' electricity accounts. This would enable eligible households off the gas grid to benefit alongside those eligible households on the gas grid.

Energy: Prices

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to structuring mandated social price support to support households reliant on heating fuels; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: Careful consideration is being given by the Department on how best to target mandated social price support at vulnerable and fuel poor consumers.
	As a result of this work I have already announced my intention, subject to consultation in summer 2010, to require energy suppliers to deliver the new help available under mandated social price support schemes through eligible consumers' electricity accounts. This is because I believe a rebate on electricity bills is more inclusive, enabling eligible households off the gas grid to benefit alongside eligible households on the gas grid.

Fuel Oil

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the level of competition in local heating fuel supply markets in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: There are around 200 different heating oil distributors and around 40 Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) suppliers in the UK, some with a national, regional or local presence, with competition between the companies involved. In order to provide a choice for consumers the relevant trade associations provide a search facility to find local suppliers:
	http://fps.findmydistributor.co.uk/
	and
	http://www.uklpg.org/supplier-search/
	The Government support the retention of a competitive market for heating oil, which is in the best interests of all customers. Both general consumer protection legislation, such as the Supply of Goods and Services Act and Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations, and competition law apply to this sector. Responsibility for the enforcement of competition law lies with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission. Following an investigation by the Competition Commission regulatory changes to make it easier to switch supplier for domestic bulk LPG have recently come into force, and should improve competition in this market.

Office of Gas and Electricity Markets: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget is of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

David Kidney: Ofgem inform us that their budget for 2009-10 and projected budget for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2009-10  2010-11 (projected costs)  2011-12 (projected costs) 
			 Ofgem 38.7 37.5 37.2 
			 Ofgem E-Serve 6.9 41.2 39.9 
			 Total 45.6 78.7 77.1 
		
	
	The projected increase in E-Serve's budget between 2009-10 and 2010-11 is mainly due to the administration of new Government programmes such as the rollout of smart meters, feed in tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Public Bodies: Finance

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what budget has been set for the  (a) Coal Authority,  (b) Committee on Radioactive Waste Management,  (c) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority,  (d) UK Energy Research Partnership and  (e) Civil Nuclear Police Authority in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

David Kidney: The following budgets have been set for these organisations for 2009-10:
	
		
			  Organisation  Total budget for 2009-10 (£) 
			 Coal Authority 40,000,000 
			 Committee on Radioactive Waste Management 525,000 
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 2,936,000 
			 UK Energy Research Partnership (1)- 
			 Civil Nuclear Police Authority 4,900,000 
			 (1) The ERP is a partnership between government, industry and research organisations. DECC's contribution to ERP in 2009-10 is £38,000. 
		
	
	Budgets for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are not yet finalised.

Totnes Town Transition Group

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 74-5W, on the Totnes Town Transition Group, by what mechanisms the monitoring and evaluation plan will capture evidence of project impacts and promote community dialogue and shared learning; what timetable has been set for completion of that plan; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of that plan; and what programmes will be funded from the grant of £625,000.

Joan Ruddock: The Low Carbon Community Challenge research programme will use the following mechanisms as part of the monitoring and evaluation plan in order to capture evidence of project impacts and promote community dialogue and shared learning:
	Capturing baseline hard data and historic trends on domestic and non-domestic energy use in buildings in each of the 22 communities.
	Socio-economic and environmental behaviour data captured using a household survey across the successful communities-one before the challenge begins and one at the end-involving a sample of residents in each community.
	Public dialogue: A series of facilitated events in each of the 22 communities to understand the emerging lessons from the Challenge-for the project, the partners as well as for policy making.
	Evaluation of the effectiveness of the LCCC as a programme.
	The plan started in February 2010 and will be completed in March 2012. The estimated cost to the public purse of the evaluation plan over the two years is between £900,000 and £1,300,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

European Union

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues he has identified as strategic priorities for the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The Government see the primary strategic priorities for the EU as to deliver an open and competitive European economy, to promote stability and growth in its neighbourhood, and to work for sustainability, openness and security in the wider world.
	The Government are at the forefront of promoting and driving action across this agenda. We have led the debate on the future shape of an ambitious, innovative, low carbon jobs and growth orientated economic agenda, as set out in the Prime Minister's Compact for Jobs and Growth. We continue to encourage the EU to deliver further enlargement, and to promote the reforms necessary within the aspirant countries, including particularly increased capacity and effectiveness of government institutions, transparent and accountable judicial institutions, and restructured and reformed economies. And we continue to drive efforts to ensure the EU promotes international security and stability, including through effective policy toward major external issues, a coordinated approach towards common security and defence policy operations, and effective institutional structure, including for the European External Action Service, that help to deliver the strategic priorities as a whole.

Falkland Islands

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the US administration has made to his Department on the subject of the UK's sovereignty in respect of the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: None.

Falkland Islands

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will issue a demarche to the US administration about the US Secretary of State's call for talks on sovereignty in respect of the Falkland Islands during her recent visit to Buenos Aires; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: We are in regular touch with the US on this issue. The US continues to recognise the UK's administration of the Falkland Islands and their wider position remains unchanged. We have consistently made clear that there is no need for any discussions or negotiations on the issue of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, about which we have no doubts. The principle of self-determination, enshrined in the UN charter, underlies our position.

Intelligence Services

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the guidelines issued by his Department to officers of those intelligence services which fall within his responsibilities on interviewing prisoners abroad have been  (a) seen and  (b) agreed by him; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: holding answer 11 March 2010
	 The draft consolidated guidance is being considered by the relevant Ministers, and as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, will be published soon.

Nuclear Disarmament: International Cooperation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what papers the Government has prepared for the nuclear non-proliferation summit in Washington DC on 12 and 13 April 2010; which  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials plan to attend the summit; and whether any representatives of non-governmental organisations will be included in the UK delegation.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
	Government officials are currently involved in negotiating the communiqué and work plan texts that are expected to be issued at the US-hosted Nuclear Security summit in April. The UK delegation has not yet been finalised.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an estimate of the amount of money which has been provided by individuals and organisations in the US to dissident Republican terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what steps have been taken with the US administration to prevent any such payments being made; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no evidence that the US represents a significant source of funding or other support for dissident republicans. In terms of prevention, both RIRA and CIRA have been designated 'Foreign Terrorist Organisations' by the US Government. This makes it unlawful for a person in the US or subject to the jurisdiction of the US to knowingly provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation. It also requires any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated foreign terrorist organisation or its agent has an interest, to retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of Treasury.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in which schools in each local authority area a school rebuilding project is under way under the Building Schools for the Future programme which has not reached financial close.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities  (a) have reached financial close for their Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects,  (b) are part of the BSF programme but have not reached financial close and  (c) are not part of the programme.

Vernon Coaker: 50 projects in 43 local authorities have reached financial close in the Building Schools for the Future programme. These are listed in table A as follows. 58 local authorities in BSF have not reached financial close. These are detailed in list B. The 51 local authorities still waiting to join the programme are in list C.
	
		
			  Table  A:  43 local authorities which have reached financial close 
			  Local authority  Date reached financial close 
			 Hull March 2010 
			 Stoke-on-Trent February 2010 
			 Rochdale January 2010 
			 Blackburn with Darwen (part of Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton) January 2010 
			 Bolton (part of Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton) January 2010 
			 Salford (part of Salford and Wigan( December 2009 
			 Wigan (part of Salford and Wigan) December 2009 
			 Birmingham August 2009 
			 Durham August 2009 
			 Sandwell July 2009 
			 Derbyshire July 2009 
			 North Lincolnshire July 2009 
			 Barnsley July 2009 
			 Luton May 2009 
			 Southwark May 2009 
			 Haringey March 2009 
			 Tameside February 2009 
			 Tower Hamlets January 2009 
			 Newham January 2009 
			 Middlesbrough December 2008 
			 Hackney November 2008 
			 Liverpool November 2008 
			 Kent October 2008 
			 Islington July 2008 
			 Nottingham June 2008 
			 Westminster April 2008 
			 Sunderland March 2008 
			 Leicester December 2007 
			 South Tyneside (part of South Tyneside and Gateshead-StaG) December 2007 
			 Gateshead (part of South Tyneside and Gateshead-StaG) December 2007 
			 Knowsley December 2007 
			 Lewisham December 2007 
			 Waltham Forest August 2007 
			 Sheffield July 2007 
			 Newcastle July 2007 
			 Solihull May 2007 
			 Leeds April 2007 
			 Lambeth January 2007 
			 Bradford December 2006 
			 Lancashire December 2006 
			 Greenwich November 2006 
			 Manchester August 2006 
			 Bristol June 2006 
		
	
	 List  B:  Local authorities in BSF that h ave not reached financial close
	Barking
	Barnet
	Bedford
	Blackpool
	Bournemouth
	Brent
	Buckinghamshire
	Cambridgeshire
	Camden
	Cornwall
	Coventry
	Croydon
	Darlington
	Derby City
	Devon
	Doncaster
	Ealing
	Enfield
	Essex
	Halton
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Hampshire
	Hartlepool
	Havering
	Hertfordshire
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Kingston
	Kirklees
	Lincolnshire
	NE Lincolnshire
	Norfolk
	North Tyneside
	Nottinghamshire
	Oldham
	Oxfordshire
	Peterborough
	Plymouth
	Poole
	Portsmouth
	Redcar and Cleveland
	Rotherham
	Sefton
	Somerset
	Southampton
	St. Helens
	Staffordshire
	Stockton-on-Tees
	Suffolk
	Sutton
	Telford and Wrekin
	Wakefield
	Walsall
	Wandsworth
	Warrington
	Wolverhampton
	Worcestershire
	 List  C:  Local authorities not in Building Schools for the Future
	Bath and North East Somerset
	Bedfordshire (Central)
	Bexley
	Bracknell Forest
	Brighton and Hove
	Bromley
	Bury
	Calderdale
	Cheshire East
	Cheshire West and Chester
	City of London
	Cumbria
	Dorset
	Dudley
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	East Sussex
	Gloucestershire
	Harrow
	Herefordshire
	Isle of Wight
	Isles of Scilly
	Leicestershire
	Medway
	Merton
	Milton Keynes
	North Somerset
	North Yorkshire
	Northamptonshire
	Northumberland
	Reading
	Redbridge
	Richmond upon Thames
	Rutland
	Shropshire
	South Gloucestershire
	Southend-on-Sea
	Slough
	Stockport
	Surrey
	Swindon
	Thurrock
	Torbay
	Trafford
	Warwickshire
	West Berkshire
	West Sussex
	Wiltshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wirral
	Wokingham
	York

Departmental Consultants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on advertising by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.

Diana Johnson: It has not been possible to identify the Department's spend on advertising in 2009 without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the Department's spend on advertising in the 2008-09 financial year was £13,891,106.
	Advertising expenditure by non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies in 2009 cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many people in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England have received education maintenance allowance in each year since its inception;
	(2)  how many people in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England received education maintenance allowance in 2009;
	(3)  how many people in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) nationwide have received education maintenance allowance in each year since 2008-09.

Iain Wright: This information is held by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). I have asked the LSC's chief executive, Geoff Russell, to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 5 March 2010:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions 321112, 313484 and 313485.
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	The following table shows EMA take-up during each academic year since inception for England, the North East, South Tyneside Local Authority area and Gateshead Local Authority area.
	
		
			  Area type  Area  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 to end-January 2010 
			 National England 297,259 429,627 527,319 546,472 540,908 599,791 
			 Region North East 19,409 25,755 32,528 33,803 34,934 36,425 
			 LA South Tyneside 1,636 1,711 2,148 2,326 2,251 2,422 
			 LA Gateshead 1,842 2,000 2,268 2,445 2,532 2,673 
		
	
	In comparing across years, it is important to understand that national roll-out was phased over several years. In the first year EMA was available to all 16 year olds across England and to 17 and 18 year olds in former pilot areas. In 2005/06 EMA was available to all 16 and 17 year olds nationally. From 2006/07 EMA was available to all 16, 17 and 18 year olds nationally.
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 is available on the LSC website, at the following address:
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in  (a) comprehensive and  (b) independent schools were entered for GCSE examinations in (i) physics, (ii) biology, (iii) chemistry, (iv) history, (v) geography, (vi) mathematics, (vii) English and (viii) English literature in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 2 February 2010
	The information required is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pupils entered for GCSEs in selected subjects in comprehensive and independent schools in 2009 
			   Comprehensive school  Independent school 
			  Selected subject  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Physics 53,532 10.3 15,028 31.0 
			 Biological Sciences 56,884 11.0 16,435 33.9 
			 Chemistry 53,654 10.3 15,671 32.4 
			 History 155,610 30.0 23,248 48.0 
			 Geography 132,109 25.4 21,636 44.7 
			 Mathematics 510,220 98.3 27,664 57.1 
			 English 503,383 97.0 41,347 85.4 
			 English Literature 405,303 78.1 36,839 76.1 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	The data relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4.

GCSE

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils achieved at least five GCSE grades at A* to C in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North-east  England 
			   Number of pupils( 1, 2)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C( 3)  Number of pupils( 1, 2)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C( 3)  Number of pupils( 1, 2)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C( 3)  Number of pupils( 1, 2)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C( 3) 
			 1997 962 38.8 1,873 35.7 31,234 36.8 537,661 42.5 
			 1998 937 38.1 1,820 36.9 30,433 37.1 527,538 43.8 
			 1999 951 41.5 1,826 39.9 30,629 39.4 533,730 45.7 
			 2000 948 39.9 1,839 39.3 30,473 41.7 534,343 47.0 
			 2001 1,056 42.3 2,020 39.1 31,826 42.5 554,506 47.9 
			 2002 1,055 42.7 2,142 42.2 31,712 44.3 558,002 49.5 
			 2003 1,060 40.6 2,054 43.5 32,045 46.8 572,040 51.1 
			 2004 1,029 45.3 2,020 45.1 32,409 48.7 590,096 52.0 
			 2005 948 52.4 1,933 51.7 31,007 53.6 582,876 55.0 
			 2006 986 56.0 2,003 55.5 31,679 57.4 592,485 57.5 
			 2007 1,081 60.4 2,096 59.3 32,570 60.6 598,767 60.1 
			 2008 997 66.3 1,954 64.9 32,112 66.5 595,806 64.6 
			 2009(4) 980 76.3 1,914 77.5 30,671 72.8 576,430 70.0 
			 (1) From 2006 figures are for pupils at the end of key stage 4. Prior to 2006 results are based on pupils aged 15.  (2) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including academies and city technology colleges) and from 2000 does not include pupils recently arrived from overseas.  (3) From 2004 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.  (4) Revised data.   Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils did not obtain at least one GCSE at Grade C or above, excluding equivalents, in  each (a) constituency and  (b) local education authority in 2009.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 11 March 2010
	The information requested for pupils attending maintained schools (including special schools, city technology colleges and academies) has been placed in the House Libraries.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who were  (a) eligible and  (b) not eligible for free school meals achieved five A* or A grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents in the (i) earliest and (ii) most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 14 January 2010
	Pupil level attainment data by free school meal eligibility are only available from 2003 onwards. The information requested is presented in the following table and is for maintained schools only.
	
		
			   Number of pupils( 1)  achieving 5 or more A* or A grades at GCSE including English and Maths (excluding equivalents)  Percentage achieving 5 or more A* or A grades at GCSE including English and Maths (excluding equivalents) 
			   Eligible for FSM  Not eligible for FSM  Eligible for FSM  Not eligible for FSM 
			 2003 791 33,538 1.0 6.8 
			 2009(2) 1,254 45,294 1.7 9.0 
			 (1) Figures for 2003 are based on pupils aged 15 and 2009 figures are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. (2) Figures for 2009 are provisional.  Source: National Pupil Database

GCSE: Greater Manchester

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in schools in  (a) the City of Manchester and  (b) Manchester Central constituency gained five GCSEs at grades A* to C or equivalent in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalents( 1)  results for pupils( 2)  attending schools( 3)  in Manchester local authority and Manchester Central constituency 
			   1997  2009( 6) 
			   Number of pupils( 5)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C  Number of pupils( 5)  Percentage of pupils gaining 5+ A*-C 
			 Manchester Central constituency 508 28.5 384 66.7 
			 Manchester local authority 3,959 26.3 4,685 62.6 
			 England(4) 586,766 45.1 634,507 70.0 
			 (1) From 2004 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only. (2) From 2006 figures are for pupils at the end of key stage 4. Prior to 2006 results are based on pupils aged 15. (3) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges) and from 2000 does not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (4) England figures also include independent schools as well as hospital schools and PRUs. (5) Number of pupils on roll aged 15 at the start of the academic year or at the end of key stage 4. (6) Revised data.  Source: School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables

National Curriculum Tests

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children achieved at least level 3 in each subject at Key Stage 1 in each year since such assessments were introduced.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Reading: Key Stage 1 
			  Task/test and Teacher Assessment Results 
			   %  of students who achieved at  or  above the given level  No .  of students achieving at or above the given level 
			   Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3  Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3 
			 1995 78 - 33 466,500 - 199,600 
			 1996 78 - 30 464,600 - 176,600 
			 1997 80 - 26 489,500 - 160,300 
			 1998 80 62 26 500,800 389,000 163,600 
			 1999 82 66 29 513,000 412,000 184,300 
			 2000 83 68 28 504,600 409,200 168,900 
			 2001 84 69 29 505,700 413,600 174,400 
			 2002 84 69 30 495,700 405,000 177,200 
			 2003 84 69 28 487,900 401,300 162,200 
			 2004(2) 85 71 29 499,100 415,700 168,000 
			 2005 85 72 27 484,800 411,500 153,500 
			 2006 84 71 26 474,500 400,600 143,900 
			 2007 84 71 26 458,300 388,900 141,300 
			 2008 84 71 25 450,600 382,800 135,900 
			 2009 (provisional) 84 72 26 449,900 383,400 138,200 
		
	
	
		
			  Writing: Key Stage 1 
			  Task/test and Teacher Assessment Results 
			   %  of students who achieved at or above the given level  No.  of students who achieved at or above the given level 
			   Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3  Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3 
			 1995 80 - 15 477,300 - 88,200 
			 1996(1) 79 - 6 474,600 - 36,700 
			 1997 80 - 6 490,200 - 36,900 
			 1998 81 48 7 507,800 304,000 45,200 
			 1999 83 53 8 519,600 335,400 51,000 
			 2000 84 57 9 511,000 341,900 53,400 
			 2001 86 59 9 515,800 353,100 57,100 
			 2002 86 60 9 506,100 351,200 55,800 
			 2003 81 62 16 471,000 358,700 93,400 
			 2004(2) 82 62 16 480,900 362,900 93,500 
			 2005 82 62 15 469,200 351,100 85,800 
			 2006 81 60 14 457,300 339,100 78,300 
			 2007 80 59 13 439,300 321,500 69,000 
			 2008 80 58 12 429,800 314,000 65,300 
			 2009 (provisional) 81 60 12 431,100 318,100 65,900 
		
	
	
		
			  Mathematics: Key Stage 1 
			  Task/test and Teacher Assessment Results 
			   %  of students who achieved at or above the given level  No.  of students who achieved at or above the given level 
			   Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3  Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3 
			 1995 79 - 19 470,700 - 116,200 
			 1996 82 - 19 491,500 - 114,300 
			 1997 84 - 20 512,700 - 124,400 
			 1998 84 61 19 529,000 382,500 118,400 
			 1999 87 64 21 544,000 399,000 134,000 
			 2000 90 73 25 542,900 440,800 153,000 
			 2001 91 75 28 546,100 454,300 166,700 
			 2002 90 76 31 531,900 445,100 184,200 
			 2003 90 73 29 523,300 426,000 169,400 
			 2004(2) 90 75 28 531,500 443,600 165,700 
			 2005 91 74 23 518,000 421,900 130,400 
			 2006 90 73 21 507,300 410,600 120,400 
			 2007 90 74 22 491,800 404,200 120,500 
			 2008 90 74 21 481,500 395,600 114,400 
			 2009 (provisional) 89 74 21 476,900 392,400 112,700 
		
	
	
		
			  Science: Key Stage 1 
			  Teacher Assessment Results 
			   %  of students who achieved at or above the given level  No.  of Students who achieved at or above the given level 
			   Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3  Level 2  Level 2B( 3)  Level 3 
			 2005 90 - 25 510,500 - 142,400 
			 2006 89 - 24 501,400 - 133,000 
			 2007 89 - 23 486,100 - 125,200 
			 2008 89 - 22 476,300 - 118,800 
			 2009 (provisional) 89 - 22 473,800 - 116,700 
			 (1) The assessment of writing changed in 1996 and is not comparable to earlier years. (2) Figures prior to 2004 are based on task/test assessments. Figures for 2004 are based on a combination of task/test assessment in non-pilot schools and new post-2004 teacher assessment arrangements in pilot schools. Figures for 2005 onward are based on post-2004 teacher assessment arrangements. There were no test/task reporting arrangements for science, therefore data prior to 2005 are not available. Figures from 2004 onwards are not directly comparable with those prior to 2004, and care is needed in interpreting trends in the data. (3) Prior to 1998 data on sub-levels are not available. Science data is not reported at sub-level therefore figures for 2B are not available.  Notes: 1. All figures are based on final data, with the exception of 2009 which is based on provisional data. 2. Numbers are rounded to nearest 100. 3. Percentages are rounded to nearest percentage point.

National Curriculum Tests

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in receipt of free school meals achieved at least level  (a) 2 and  (b) 2b in each subject at Key Stage 1 in each year since the introduction of such assessments.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer  22 February 2010
	The requested information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in key stage 1 assessments by free school meals eligibility. Years: 2002 to 2009. Coverage: England 
			Percentage of pupils achieving: 
			   No. of eligible pupils  Absent/  unable  Disapplied  Working towards level 1  1  2C  2B  2A  3  4  2+ 
			  Reading
			 2002 106,152 - - - - - - - - - 69 
			 2003 102,793 - - - - - - - - - 69 
			 2004 108,726 - - - - - - - - - 70 
			 2005 101,276 0 0 8 22 18 24 17 11 0 70 
			 2006 95,430 0 0 8 23 18 24 17 10 0 69 
			 2007 94,221 0 0 8 24 17 23 18 11 0 69 
			 2008 90,638 0 0 7 24 17 23 18 10 0 69 
			 2009 92,439 0 0 6 23 17 24 18 11 0 71 
			 
			  Writing
			 2002 (Writing) 106,153 - - - - - - - - - 72 
			 2002 (Spelling) 106,151 - - - - - - - - - 61 
			 2003 102,794 - - - - - - - - - 64 
			 2004 108,728 - - - - - - - - - 66 
			 2005 101,285 0 0 11 22 26 23 12 5 0 66 
			 2006 95,430 0 0 11 24 26 22 12 5 (1)- 65 
			 2007 94,221 0 0 11 26 26 22 11 4 0 63 
			 2008 90,637 0 0 10 26 26 22 11 4 (1)- 64 
			 2009 92,437 0 0 8 26 26 24 12 4 0 66 
			 
			  Mathematics
			 2002 106,152 - - - - - - - - - 81 
			 2003 102,794 - - - - - - - - - 80 
			 2004 108,728 - - - - - - - - - 80 
			 2005 101,301 0 0 5 13 25 26 21 10 0 81 
			 2006 95,430 0 0 5 14 25 26 20 9 (1)- 80 
			 2007 94,221 0 0 5 15 23 26 21 9 0 80 
			 2008 90,638 0 0 5 16 23 26 21 9 (1)- 79 
			 2009 92,455 0 0 4 16 23 28 20 9 0 80 
			 
			  Science
			 2005 101,306 0 - 3 18 - 68 - 11 0 78 
			 2006 95,423 0 - 3 19 - 68 - 10 0 78 
			 2007 94,218 0 - 3 19 - 68 - 9 0 77 
			 2008 90,638 0 - 3 19 - 68 - 9 0 77 
			 2009 92,425 0 - 3 19 - 69 - 9 0 78 
			 (1) Indicates figure suppressed due to small cohort size.  Notes: 1. Pupil level collection of FSM eligibility began with the 2002 School Census, therefore no data are available prior to 2002. 2. Figures prior to 2004 are based on tests, 2004 are based on a combination of test and teacher assessment, 2005 and later based on teacher assessment. 3. Science figures are unavailable prior to 2005 as science test results were not collected centrally. 4. In 2003 significant changes were introduced to the assessment of writing. A separate level for spelling was not reported separately, instead marks for spelling contributed to the pupils' writing level and there was a new mark scheme for the two writing tasks. 5. Level distributions prior to 2005 are not available. 6. Percentages rounded to nearest percentage point. 7. Data cover maintained schools only.

National Curriculum Tests: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many 11 year-olds in schools in Leeds North West constituency attained level four or above in Key Stage 2 in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009;
	(2)  how many 14 year-olds in schools in Leeds North West constituency obtained level five or above in Key Stage 3 in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the following tables:
	
		
			  Key Stage 2 results of 11 yea r- old pupils( 1)  attending schools in the Leeds North West constituency 
			   Number of pupils eligible  Number of pupils gaining level 4 and above  Percentage of pupils gaining  level 4 and above 
			   1997  2009( 2)  1997  2009( 2)  1997  2009( 2) 
			  Leeds North West   
			 English 847 611 633 530 75 87 
			 Maths 847 611 588 506 69 83 
			 Science 847 611 661 558 78 91 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges) (2) Revised data.  Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables 
		
	
	
		
			  Key Stage 3 results of 14 year - old pupils( 1 ) attending schools in the Leeds North West constituency 
			   Number of pupils eligible  Number of pupils gaining level 5 and above  Percentage of pupils gaining level 5 and above 
			   1997  2008( 2)  1997  2008( 2)  1997  2008( 2) 
			  Leeds North West   
			 English 810 883 480 711 59 81 
			 Maths 818 883 553 740 68 84 
			 Science 814 881 537 676 66 77 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including Academies and City Technology Colleges). (2) Key Stage 3 Tests were discontinued after 2008. From 2009 National Curriculum Assessment at Key Stage 3 is based on Teacher Assessments.  Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables and National Pupil Database

Pupil Exclusions: Poole

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils excluded from school in Poole were readmitted on appeal in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: During 2007-08 there were no appeals against permanent exclusions in Poole local authority area.

School Improvement Partners: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on School Improvement Partners in the latest year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The amount spent by the Department on School Improvement Partners in the latest year (2009-10) was £29.9 million. Of this, £23.5 million came directly through the DCSF via the Area based Grant (ABG) and £6.4 million was spent through the National Strategies' management and delivery of the SIP programme.

Schools: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils in schools in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point obtained five GCSEs at grade A* to C or equivalent in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009;
	(2)  how many 11-year-olds in schools in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point attained level 4 or above in Key Stage 2 in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009;
	(3)  how many 14-year-olds in schools in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point obtained level 5 or above in Key Stage 3 in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009;
	(4)  if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Castle Point constituency, the effects on that constituency of changes to his Department's policies since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Since 1997 the Government have transformed education and child care with improved outcomes for children and young people. Figures showing the performance at Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3 and at GCSE and equivalents in Castle Point constituency and Essex local authority are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Key Stage 2 results of 11-year-old pupils attending schools in the Castle Point constituency and Essex local authority 
			   Number of eligible pupils  Number of pupils gaining level 4 and above  Percentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above( 1) 
			   1997  2009( 2)  1997  2009( 2)  1997  2009( 2) 
			  Castle Point   
			 English 1,085 1,003 730 786 67 78 
			 Maths 1,085 1,003 643 774 59 77 
			 Science 1,085 1,003 726 866 67 86 
			
			  Essex   
			 English(3) 18,378 15,427 11,575 12,354 63 80 
			 Maths(3) 18,432 15,426 11,320 12,163 61 79 
			 Science(3) 18,426 15,427 12,335 13,674 67 89 
			
			  England   
			 English 573,641 565,132 359,860 453,044 62 80 
			 Maths 573,922 565,129 352,800 445,625 61 79 
			 Science 573,959 565,201 391,685 499,192 68 88 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including academies and city technology colleges).(  2) Revised data.(  3) 1997 LA data is not directly comparable with 2009 LA data due to local government reorganisation in 1998.   Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	
		
			  Key Stage 3 results of 14-year-old pupils attending schools in the Castle Point constituency and Essex local authority 
			   Number of eligible pupils  Number of pupils gaining level 5 and above  Percentage of pupils gaining level 5 and above( 1) 
			   1997  2008( 2)  1997  2008( 2)  1997  2008( 2) 
			  Castle Point   
			 English 1,221 1,250 811 954 66 76 
			 Maths 1,221 1,249 753 951 62 76 
			 Science 1,221 1,248 689 872 56 70 
			
			  Essex   
			 English(3) 17,641 16,639 10,428 12,665 59 76 
			 Maths(3) 17,670 16,655 11,217 13,039 63 78 
			 Science(3) 17,686 16,674 10,960 12,199 62 73 
			
			  England   
			 English 541,744 591,634 310,578 437,798 57 74 
			 Maths 543,745 592,145 324,615 453,921 60 77 
			 Science 543,869 592,105 326,852 423,960 60 72 
			 (1) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including academies and city technology colleges).  (2) Key Stage 3 Tests were discontinued after 2008. From 2009 National Curriculum Assessment at Key Stage 3 is based on teacher assessments.  (3) 1997 LA data is not directly comparable with 2009 LA data due to local government reorganisation in 1998.   Source:  School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables and National Pupil Database. 
		
	
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalents( 1)  results for pupils( 2)  attending schools( 3)  in the Castle Point constituency and Essex local authority 
			   Number of eligible pupils  Number of pupils gaining  Percentage of pupils gaining 
			   1997  2009( 4)  1997  2009( 4)  1997  2009( 4) 
			  Castle Point   
			 5+ A*-C 1,201 1,239 503 831 41.9 67.1 
			 5+ A*-G 1,201 1,239 1,087 1,173 90.5 94.7 
			
			  Essex   
			 5+ A*-C(5) 17,914 16,136 7,994 11,006 44.6 68.2 
			 5+ A*-G(5) 17,914 16,136 15,943 15,039 89.0 93.2 
			
			  England   
			 5+ A*-C 537,661 576,430 228,646 403,501 42.5 70.0 
			 5+ A*-G 537,661 576,430 467624 540,115 87.0 93.7 
			 (1) From 2004 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a range of other qualifications approved pre-16. Prior to 2004 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.  (2) From 2006 figures are for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. Prior to 2006 results are based on pupils aged 15.  (3) Includes pupils attending all maintained schools (including academies and city technology colleges) and from 2000 does not include pupils recently arrived from overseas.  (4) Revised data.  (5) 1997 LA data is not directly comparable with 2009 LA data due to local government reorganisation in 1998. Source: School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	Further information by constituency is available on the Department's "In Your Area" website:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/inyourarea
	The information available at constituency level includes the number of specialist schools, number of operational academies, number of teaching assistants and other support staff, number of teachers and pupil:teacher ratios. Where information is not available at constituency level it has been provided at local authority level including the number of free early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds, number full-time and part-time entrants to higher education institutions aged 18 to 20, average A level point score per candidate and per entry together with Percentage of People of Working Age Qualified to at least Level 2 and Percentage of People of Working Age Qualified to Level 4 and above.
	Additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Teachers: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what his most recent assessment is of the operation of the system of continuous professional development of teachers;
	(2)  what his policy is for the future of the system of continuous professional development of teachers.

Vernon Coaker: It is clear that initial teacher education programmes, schools and the quality of teaching and learning have all improved in recent years. However, we recognise that there is still more to do to ensure that every child experiences high quality teaching in every lesson, and that teachers are equipped to deal with the challenges posed by the 21st century schools system.
	Good CPD has a positive impact on teachers' practice and leads to improvements in pupil attainment and other outcomes and the Department is working with the Training and Development Agency (TDA) and other partners to take significant action to improve the quality and take up of CPD provision.
	In November 2009 TDA published a new professional development strategy (PDS) which includes plans to strengthen CPD leadership, impact evaluation and training for support staff, and is underpinned by three key priorities of embedding a learning culture within schools, increasing coherence and collaboration and improving quality and capacity. The PDS can be found on TDA's website:
	www.tda.gov.uk/partners/cpd/pds_cwds.aspx?keywords=professional+development+strategy
	Teachers in the north-west and challenging schools are now eligible for enrolment for the new Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL). The MTL builds on Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and induction and will have immediate relevance to teaching and learning in the classroom, focusing on developing and honing teachers' practice through inquiry and use of evidence. The MTL will also help schools to develop an increasingly collaborative culture of professional development.
	Additionally, the new Licence to Practise alongside a CPD entitlement will ensure that all teachers have access to the CPD they need to guarantee they continue to be effective in the classroom.
	Ofsted's 2006 report on CPD, 'The Logical Chain' found that the most effective CPD takes place in schools. With this in mind our White Paper 'Your Child, Your School, Our Future: Building a 21st century schools system' gave TDA and the National College a joint remit to provide advice on how a nationwide network of quality assured CPD can be delivered through school clusters, utilising existing provision such as Training Schools, Teaching Schools and Leadership Development Schools. Ministers have welcomed preliminary advice on how this can be achieved and further advice is expected in spring 2010.The ministerial advice can be found on TDA's website:
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/t/training_ schools_ministerial_letter221209.pdf
	To help ensure that schools and teachers become more informed consumers in identifying effective and quality assured professional development TDA has now also rolled out a new national database with an associated code of practice. There are currently over 4,000 opportunities for professional development listed on this database:
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/cpd/cpdzone.aspx? keywords=CPD+database
	We are confident that our policies will ensure that schools and the school work force are equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st Century School and, thus, improve outcomes for children and young people.

UK Youth Parliament

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will publish his response to the document Preventing Terrorism and Violent Extremism produced by the UK Youth Parliament and commissioned jointly by his Department and the Home Office.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 3 March 2010
	Officials in the Department are working with the UK Youth Parliament to discuss the recommendations made in the report and decide on the next steps to take in response to the document.

Vocational Education

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms are in place for the benchmarking of teaching practice in vocational courses in schools.

Vernon Coaker: Ofsted assesses the quality of teaching and learning during its regular inspections of schools and uses a consistent approach across all subjects. However, it does not routinely report on teaching of individual subjects. Ofsted can, through its survey programme, undertake more detailed studies of specific areas.

Youth Justice: Finance

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for which parts of the youth justice budget he plans to protect funding in each of the next three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 11 March 2010
	As per the letter of 15 February 2010 sent to you jointly by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) and myself, I can confirm that funding allocated to the Youth Justice Board for front line services aimed at tackling youth crime will be protected at 2009/10 levels in 2010/11.
	Funding for financial years 2011/12 and 2012/13 will be subject to future spending review decisions.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate has been made of the number of learners with a learning difficulty and/or a learning disability whoseeducation provision will be funded by the Skills Funding Agency in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills routes funding through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the provision of Further Education (FE) and training for adult learners aged 19 and over.
	For the 2009/10 academic year this included funding for all learners aged 19 and above with a learning difficulty or disability (LDD). For the 2010/11 academic year responsibility for funding learners with LDD aged between 19 and 25 with high level needs will pass to the Young People's Learning Agency and local authorities. Funding for all other learners aged 19 or over will be the responsibility of the Skills Funding Agency.
	Investing in FE and skills training for these learners remains a priority and we remain committed to maintaining future opportunities for them. This means making available the right level of support so that FE colleges and training organisations are able to meet their needs.
	The number of learners aged 19 and over learning in mainstream provision with a self declared LDD varies from year to year depending on demand, but has been around 200,000 each year from 2006/07 to 2008/09 academic year (the latest whole year for which data is available).
	The LSC Statement of Priorities 2009-10 (November, 2008) and the Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11 (November 2009) confirmed our commitment to at least maintain these volumes for the 2009/10 and 2010/11 academic year. The actual numbers supported will depend on demand.

Apprentices: Standards

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department have attended on apprenticeship targets.

Kevin Brennan: Ministers in both DCSF and BIS have responsibilities for apprenticeships. Targets are set through an annual planning cycle which involves officials and Ministers to determine the programme budget and numbers of apprenticeships to be delivered. These have been published in the BIS Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11 and the DCSF 16-19 Statement of Priorities and Investment Strategy 2010-11. The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has responsibility for delivery of apprenticeship targets and Ministers from both Departments meet monthly with the NAS and officials to discuss performance and progress.
	The apprenticeships programme also contributes to the 14-19 Reform programme in DCSF and the Skills programme in BIS. There are regular meetings to manage these programmes at both official level and between Ministers, the NAS and officials, at which progress against targets is discussed.

Departmental Freedom of Information

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many freedom of information requests his Department, its predecessors and its executive agencies replied to in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: BIS and its predecessors has replied to the following number of freedom of information requests in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 694 
			 2006 578 
			 2007 521 
			 2008 799 
			 2009 1,053 
		
	
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 12 March 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 8 March 2010, UIN 321687 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House received the following number of Freedom of Information requests in each of the last five calendar years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 90 
			 2006 101 
			 2007 106 
			 2008 116 
			 2009 210 
		
	
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 11 March 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question-"how many freedom of information requests his Department, its predecessors and its executive agencies replied to in each of the last five years".
	The Insolvency Service is a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act. There are no requirements under the Act for a public authority to record or catalogue requests that are received, irrespective of whether the request refers to the Act or must be dealt with under the provisions of the Act. From January 2009 Cabinet Office instructions were incorporated within The Service's Security Policy Framework Document to fulfil HMG requirements for the central recording and reporting of Freedom of Information requests.
	Any logging or recording of requests for information prior to January 2009 was done for administrative purposes, to meet the stated policy of the public authority and any existing requirements imposed by Central Government.
	The Insolvency Service has not centrally logged all requests received across The Service for the period from January 2005 to December 2008 and individual Directorates within The Service were responsible for responding to the requests they received. Consequently the figure provided below may well be a slight understatement of actual requests received and dealt with by The Service.
	In the period March 2005 to February 2010 The Insolvency Service has recorded a total of 1,238 requests.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 10 March 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 8 March 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The number of freedom of information requests received by the Intellectual Property Office from 2005 to 2009, are as follows:
	
		
			  FOI requests 
			   Number 
			 2005 48 
			 2006 37 
			 2007 15 
			 2008 113 
			 2009 167 
			 Total 380 
		
	
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 March 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML)) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 08/03/2010 [reference 2009/1630] to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many Freedom of Information requests his Department, its predecessors and its executive agencies replied to in each of the last five years.
	The number of Freedom of Information requests handled by NMO (2009/10) and NWML (2005/09) was:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005/06 0 
			 2006/07 1 
			 2007/08 7 
			 2008/09 8 
			 2009/10 10

Departmental ICT

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what information technology projects initiated by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse.

Patrick McFadden: In the last 12 months the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not cancelled prior to completion any information technology projects.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 8 March 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what information technology projects initiated by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies were cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse.
	In the last 12 months, The Insolvency Service has not cancelled any of the information technology projects it has initiated.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 3 March 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 01 March 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The only information technology project that we have cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months was a pilot to investigate the feasibility of obtaining wider input to the patenting process. The cost up to that point was £142k.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 3 March 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly the National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 1st March 2010 [reference 2009/1518 ] to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking about information technology projects which have been cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months.
	No information technology projects initiated by the National Measurement Office were cancelled prior to completion during this period.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 1 March 2010, UIN 320431, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has not cancelled any Information Technology projects prior to completion in the last twelve months.

Departmental Public Relations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which public relations companies have had contracts with (a) his Department and  (b) each of its (i) non-departmental public bodies and (ii) executive agencies since 2004.

Patrick McFadden: The following public relations companies have been employed since 2004/05. Most of these companies have been procured via the Central Office of Information (COI). External public relations companies are used for raising public awareness on specific issues and are only used where the internal specialism is not available.
	
		
			  Company  Area of work 
			  2009/10 BIS (including former BERR and DIUS)  
			 Four Communications Vulnerable Workers, Family Rights, Consumer Tipping Awareness and National Minimum Wage campaigns 
			 Cohn and Wolfe Employing People campaign; Climate Change and Media Audit 
			 Fishburn Hedges Employee engagement campaign 
			 Consolidated Student Finance and Employability 
			 Kindred Science (So What? So Everything) and Informal Adult Learning 
			 Grayling Iawards 
			 Band and Brown FE Colleges Week 
			 Forster Academic Freedom Debates 
			   
			  2008/09 BERR  
			 Cohn and Wolfe Employing People campaign Flexible working campaign 
			 Trimedia Harrison Cowley Consumer Protection Regulations campaign 
			 Highlight PR Queen's Awards campaign 
			 Gavin Anderson Renewable Energy campaign 
			   
			  2008/09 DIUS  
			 Consolidated Student Finance and Employability 
			 Kindred Science (So What? So Everything) 
			 Band and Brown FE Colleges Week 
			 Cohn and Wolfe Climate Change 
			 Forster Academic Freedom Debates 
			   
			  2007/08 BERR  
			 Geronimo Communications Enterprising Britain campaign 
			 Gavin Anderson (UK) Ltd. Renewable energy campaign 
			 GCI London Employing People campaign 
			 Highlight PR Queen's Awards campaign 
			 Trimedia Harrison Cowley Ltd. Fireworks safety campaign Consumer Protection Regulations Campaign 
			   
			  2007/08 DIUS  
			 Consolidated Student Finance and Employability 
			   
			  2006/07 DTI  
			 GCI London Business Link campaign 
			 Fishburn Hedges Gap Analysis campaign 
			 Gavin Anderson (UK) Ltd. DTI Renewable Energy campaign 
			 Geronimo Communications SBS Enterprising Britain campaign 
			   
			  2005/06 DTI  
			 Wright Communications Consumer Direct campaign 
			 Harrison Cowley Consumer Direct campaign 
			 Gavin Anderson (UK) Ltd. DTI Renewable Energy campaign 
			 Geronimo Communications SBS Enterprising Britain campaign 
			 GCI London SBS Interim campaign PR activity 
			   
			  DTI 2004/05  
			 GCI London DTI Best Practice 
			 Portfolio Metrica DTI Best Practice Media Evaluation 
			 Fishburn Hedges DTI Dispute Resolution campaign 
			 Porter Novelli Ltd. DTI Renewables 
			 Broadsystem SBS Sunday Times Enterprise Network Sponsorship 
		
	
	The Department does not hold centrally the information you request on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the Chief Executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 2 March 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to your question which public relations companies have had contracts with (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency since 2004.
	The following public relations companies have had contracts with The Insolvency Service since 2004: GfK NOP and Laura McCaffrey Editorial.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 26 February 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 24 February 2010, UIN 319766 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has not had contracts with any public relations companies since 2004.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 26 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 24 February 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Since 2004, The Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of BIS, has had contracts with the following three (3) public relations companies:
	Prowse & Co
	Bell Design
	Eulogy.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 15 March 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 24 February 2010 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking which public relations companies have had contracts with the Department and its Executive Agencies since 2004.
	The then National Weights & Measures Laboratory, at that time an Executive Agency of the DTI, had a contract with Icas PR, 4 The Waterhouse, Waterhouse Street, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1 EN, which ran from May 2004 to July 2005. The Agency has had no contracts with public relations companies since that date.

Departmental Recruitment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department and its agencies spent on external recruitment consultants in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: Central records indicate that the Department spent £59,928 on external recruitment consultants since its inception (announced on 5 June 2009) to 31 December 2009.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 15 March 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to your question, how much his Department and its agencies spent on external recruitment consultants in the last 12 months.
	The Insolvency Service employs a large number of temporary staff. Financial records show that in the 12 months from February 2009 to January 2010 (inclusive) it spent £20,512,282 on temporary staff supplied by several agencies. Agency recruitment charges are estimated to be between 12.5% and 18% of this total, i.e. between £2,564,035 and £3,692,211.
	A more exact estimate of the amount spent on external recruitment consultants can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 11 February 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 29 January 2010, UIN 315286, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has spent £30,500 on external recruitment consultants in the last 12 months.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 2 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 29 January 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In the period February 09-January 2010 the Intellectual Property Office spent £59,000 on external recruitment consultants. These costs were incurred in recruiting and assessing lay members of a tribunal.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 2 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 29 January 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking how much was spent on external recruitment consultants in the last 12 months.
	The National Measurement Office spent £7,103.00 on external recruitment in the twelve months ending 31 January 2010.

Departmental Travel

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what expenditure his Department has incurred on international travel since 2007.

Patrick McFadden: The expenditure incurred on international travel by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills since 2007 is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007 2,768,317 
			 2008 3,634,638 
			 2009 3,493,441

Education: Wolverhampton

Ken Purchase: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much capital expenditure his Department has allocated to  (a) the University of Wolverhampton and  (b) Wolverhampton further education colleges since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: Capital expenditure for the higher education sector is administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Since 1997, HEFCE has allocated £41.191 million to the University of Wolverhampton for capital related developments.
	Capital expenditure for the further education sector has been administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) since April 2001. Before this time, capital expenditure was administered by the Further Education Funding Council. Since 2001, a total of £6.5 billion of projects have been approved "in detail" including an LSC grant support of £3.4 billion. Since 1997, £5.478 million of capital grant support has been allocated to the City of Wolverhampton College.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he ( a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to deal with anti-Semitism (i) on university campuses and (ii) in student unions; what recent discussions he has had on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: This Department has set up a group on Anti-Semitism and higher education to facilitate discussions between the Jewish community and higher education stakeholders, which I chair. This group covers all issues relating to anti-Semitism on campus and plays an important role in helping to tackle anti-Semitism in higher education. The two meetings that have taken place have resulted in practical actions to be taken forward by higher education stakeholders and Jewish Community representatives working collaboratively.
	I also attended the recent Jewish student Lobby of Parliament in February 2010 where I heard from students about their experiences at university and made clear once again the Government's strong opposition to anti-Semitism and any form of racism in higher education.
	I was appalled at the rise in total anti-Semitic incident figures shown in the recent Community Security Trust annual report, in particular the very disturbing 38 incidents against one academic.
	However, the overall trend in HE showed a 13 per cent. decrease from 2008.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings have been held of the higher education sub-group of the cross-government working group on anti-Semitism since January 2009; who from each Civil Service grade attended each meeting; what was discussed at each meeting; what further meetings are planned; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: There have been two meetings of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' (BIS) anti-Semitism and higher education group, in April 2009 chaired by me and in November 2009 chaired by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations and by Martin Williams, the Director for Higher Education in BIS. At each meeting a ministerial private secretary was present and also a policy official (higher executive officer). A further meeting is due to be arranged for spring 2010.
	The first meeting discussed anti-Semitic incident monitoring in higher education (HE), and how this was reported by students. The second meeting included updates from members of the group on their wider work on equality and diversity, including tackling anti-Semitism, and on the recent guidance for students, "A Student's Guide to Antisemtism on Campus", produced by the Union of Jewish Students and the Community Security Trust. Both meetings resulted in agreement to a number of practical actions which are being taken forward by HE stakeholders and the Jewish community.
	We are committed to encouraging higher education institutions to ensure discrimination has no place in any of their policies or practices and to act swiftly when incidents or complaints are brought to their attention. One of the most important ways of tackling any form of racism in our universities is to ensure there is a dialogue between the universities, students and minority communities and this Department has been instrumental in fostering communication between the Jewish community and higher education. An important part of this work has been the establishment of the BIS anti-Semitism and higher education group, which brings together student representatives, representatives of the Jewish community and key HE sector bodies.

Higher Education: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in Milton Keynes  (a) applied for and  (b) were accepted onto a place at university in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: The information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Applicants and accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS from Milton Keynes local authority( 1) 
			   Year of entry 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 Applicants 1,727 1,966 2,295 
			 Accepted applicants 1,389 1,574 1,742 
			 (1) Based on the declared home address of the applicant.  Source: UCAS.

Higher Education: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people from City of York constituency started a degree course in  (a) 1996,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2009.

David Lammy: The number of young (under 21) undergraduate entrants, from the City of York constituency, to UK higher education institutions are shown in the table. Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and are provided for the 1996/97, 2005/06 and 2008/09 academic years. Data for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from January 2011.
	
		
			  Young( 1)  undergraduate entrants( 2)  from the City of York constituency( 3) . UK higher education institutions( 4) . Academic years 1996/97, 2005/06 and 2008/09 
			  Academic year  Entrants 
			 1996/97 260 
			 2005/06 415 
			 2008/09 410 
			 (1) Covers entrants under the age of 21. (2) Covers entrants to full-time and part-time courses. (3) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (4) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK  (a) undergraduate and  (b) post graduate students there were at the (i) University of York and (ii) University of York St John in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: The numbers of UK-domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments at the University of York and York St John University in each year since 1996/97 are provided in the table.
	
		
			  UK-domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments( 1 ) University of York and York St. John University-academic years 1996-97 to 2008-09 
			   University of York  York St John University 
			   Undergraduate  Postgraduate  Undergraduate  Postgraduate 
			 1996-97 4,965 1,265 3,620 290 
			 1997-98 5,340 1,245 3,465 390 
			 1998-99 5,750 1,240 3,480 415 
			 1999-2000 5,830 1,390 3,415 540 
			 2000-01 6,145 1,430 3,660 525 
			 2001-02 6,725 1,625 3,915 660 
			 2002-03 6,965 1,710 4,465 810 
			 2003-04 7,320 1,975 4,280 775 
			 2004-05 7,600 1,920 4,385 610 
			 2005-06 8,215 2,040 5,110 705 
			 2006-07 8,080 1,785 4,875 730 
			 2007-08 8,030 1,880 4,825 615 
			 2008-09 8,105 2,100 5,270 620 
			 (1) Covers students of all ages enrolled on full-time and part-time courses.  Notes:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Islamic Organisations: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has provided funding to Islamic organisations in each year since 2005.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not separately record companies or organisations that receive grant or other funding under the heading of "Islamic", and thus an exercise to try and obtain such information would be unlikely to be successful. Establishing this and obtaining the information could be undertaken at only disproportionate cost.

Minimum Wage

William Cash: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the extent to which income at the rate of the national minimum wage is sufficient to meet the average cost of living.

Patrick McFadden: The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is a key part of the Government's wider strategy for achieving a fair minimum income from work. Because individuals situations vary, the NMW needs to be considered along with other measures for alleviating poverty, such as tax credits. These take account of individual circumstances and can therefore better target resources on those who need it most.

National Science and Engineering Week

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to mark National Science and Engineering Week.

David Lammy: BIS funds the co-ordination of National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW), including a £100,000 fund for over 400 schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own science and engineering events. My noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation wrote to all MPs encouraging them to get involved with activities during NSEW. We identified opportunities, within already busy schedules, for BIS Ministers and departmental representatives to contribute to events during the week.
	Underlining the Department's support for NSEW, there was considerable ministerial involvement at the annual Big Bang: UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair, which took place on 11-13 March, and included the finals of the UK National Science and Engineering Competition. Ministerial involvement included:
	My noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation engaged in outreach activities on 12 March as a STEM ambassador;
	My noble Friend the Secretary of State attended the Big Bang event on 12 March and presented awards to finalists of the National Science and Engineering Competition; and
	My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform attended on 13 March.
	NSEW is being promoted throughout Science week on the Department's website:
	www.bis.gov.uk

Overseas Companies: Ethiopia

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which British companies were operating in Ethiopia on the latest date for which information is available.

Ian Lucas: UKTI is aware of 64 British companies that were operating in Ethiopia as of November 2009.
	UKTI maintains details of its interactions with individual companies. However, UKTI does not disclose information provided on an individual basis as it often is of a confidential nature and provided to us in connection with client's business interests. UKTI will not disclose any such information to any other person for any purpose without the prior written consent of the company.

Radio Frequencies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that opportunities for market entry are maximised under the proposed combined auction by OFCOM of spectrum for wireless broadband usage.

Stephen Timms: The release of spectrum into the market by auction is handled by Ofcom, including auction design. However, the Direction to implement the Spectrum Modernisation Programme which we have recently consulted upon, requires Ofcom to implement temporary spectrum caps which are to limit the ability of operators to gain excessive amounts of spectrum below 1 GHz and below 3 GHz. These will help ensure a competitive and fair auction, giving opportunity for new entrants, should they wish to bid.

Radio Frequencies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons he is providing direction to OFCOM to implement wireless radio spectrum modernisation.

Stephen Timms: To implement our spectrum modernisation programme as set out in the Digital Britain Report. Our objective is to enable the deployment of next generation mobile broadband services, which will deliver substantial benefits to business and consumers.

Science: Finance

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from which areas of his Department's budget for science he expects to make savings.

David Lammy: No decisions have been reached on the future size of the science budget. The Government will spend £6 billion on science and research by 2010/11, a doubling in real terms since 1997. The Government remain committed to the ring-fence and the ten-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework. We shall continue to prioritise funding to deliver a world-class research base, capable of addressing key challenges including environmental change, ageing and global security.

Students: Loans

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in respect of how many student loan applications consideration was delayed in the period from September to December in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Data are not readily available on the number of applications where "consideration was delayed" in the last five years. It would incur disproportionate cost to obtain this information.

Students: Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people of each age in each local authority area had a debt with the Student Loans Company on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The question cannot be answered as this would incur disproportionate cost.

Students: Personal Records

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pieces of information  (a) universities and  (b) further education colleges are required to gather on individual students by the time of their enrolment.

David Lammy: For universities, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) agrees and reviews the standard requirements of the Student Record, to be completed on enrolment. HESA is a private company, established in 1993 to meet requirements for uniform and reliable statistics across the Higher Education system in the United Kingdom. Although not all fields need to be completed for every enrolment, the current set of fields comprising the Student Record can be accessed here:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/component/option.com_ studrec/tasks.how_file/Itemid.233/mnl.08051/href.E^_^index.html/
	For Further Education colleges, the Information Authority agrees and reviews the content of the Individualised Learner Record (ILR), to be completed on enrolment and used to allow the college to draw down the appropriate level of funding to support each learner. The Information Authority was established as an independent body in 2006, to set and regulate data and data collection standards for Further Education, and to reduce the data burden on Further Education colleges and training organisations in England.
	Further Education provision is diverse, and the range of data collected varies accordingly. The ILR contains up to 45 data fields for each learner and up to 56 for each learning aim. The fields which will be filled in will vary, however, depending on the learner and the learning being undertaken. Under a reciprocal arrangement with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and HESA, further fields are collected for the small proportion of learners studying higher education provision and/or funded by HEFCE. Further information on the ILR can be found here:
	http://www.theia.org.uk/ilr

Students: Radicalism

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of students  (a) suspended and  (b) expelled from university as the result of extremist religious activity in each year since 2001.

David Lammy: The Department does not request or hold this information.

Teachers: Qualifications

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions officials of his Department have had with officials of the Department for Children, Schools and Families on required teaching qualifications for  (a) schools and  (b) further education colleges.

Kevin Brennan: BIS officials are working with the Department for Children School and Families (DCSF) to clarify the extent of equivalence and transferability of qualified teacher status between schools and further education teachers or lecturers.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burundi: Females

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has plans to provide assistance for programmes for the political and social empowerment of women in Burundi, with particular reference to the participation of women as candidates in elections.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £1 million to a pooled fund, managed by the UN Development Programme, for the 2010 Elections in Burundi. This includes funding for the mobilisation of women as participants in the electoral process, as electors, candidates and administrators. A voter registration exercise was successfully carried out in February 2010 resulting in 3.5 million people registering to vote, 52 per cent. of whom were women. The project also aims to support political parties to ensure the effective participation of women in the electoral process, in line with the requirement in Burundi's Constitution of at least 30 per cent. female representation in Parliament.

Civil Society Challenge Fund

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Civil Society Challenge Fund operates across the UK.

Michael Foster: The Civil Society Challenge Fund is open to not-for-profit organisations based anywhere in the UK.

Civil Society Challenge Fund: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many organisations from Northern Ireland have received funding from the Civil Society Challenge Fund since its inception; and how many of these were women's organisations.

Michael Foster: Since its inception in 2000, the Civil Society Challenge Fund has funded two projects with Trocaire, based in Belfast.
	In the most recent funding round (for funding from April 2010) we have agreed provisional support for a project with, Derry based, Children in Crossfire. Signing of the grant agreement is subject to negotiation of financial and other arrangements and the usual DFID approval procedures.
	Neither Trocaire nor Children in Crossfire are women's organisations.

Civil Society Challenge Fund: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many information seminars on the Civil Society Challenge Fund his Department has held in Northern Ireland since the inception of the Fund.

Michael Foster: Since the establishment of the Civil Society Challenge Fund in 2000 there have been no information seminars on this fund in Northern Ireland.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on assisting developing countries dealing with the effects of climate change in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports developing countries deal with the effects of climate change through a number of multilateral and bilateral channels. For example DFID has:
	Invested £150 million in the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) over the past two years.
	Provided £50 million to the Chars Livelihood Programme in Bangladesh to support livelihoods resilient to climate change.
	Committed to invest £100 million in climate research over five years.
	We are not currently able to disaggregate all of our spend on climate change. DFID is working with other donors, through the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, to agree how climate change spending should be reported. We expect to begin reporting against agreed requirements later this year.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department provided to Ethiopia  (a) to each recipient and  (b) through each distributing organisation in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Details of aid provided to Ethiopia are published annually in "Statistics on International Development", which is available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2009/
	The amounts provided to each type of recipient are provided in the following table. The majority of aid received by the Government of Ethiopia is channelled through multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and United Nations.
	
		
			  £ million 
			Of which: 
			  Financial year  Total DFID bilateral aid to Ethiopia  Delivered to an NGO  Delivered to the Ethiopian Government 
			 2004-05 62.364 3.476 58.89 
			 2005-06 62.558 2.288 60.27 
			 2006-07 90.496 2.529 87.97 
			 2007-08 139.519 2.69 136.83 
			 2008-09 165.521 3.6 161.92 
		
	
	The amount of this aid distributed through bilateral and multilateral channels is as follows.
	
		
			  £ million 
			Of which: 
			  Financial year  Total DFID bilateral aid to Ethiopia  Delivered through a multilateral 
			 2004-05 62.364 9.78 
			 2005-06 62.558 14.73 
			 2006-07 90.496 83.88 
			 2007-08 139.519 135.75 
			 2008-09 165.521 159.99

Haiti: Autism

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has made an assessment of the autism needs of the Haitian population; and whether his Department or its international partners have plans to rebuild the autism clinic in Haiti.

Douglas Alexander: A post disaster needs assessment is currently under way in Haiti. Only after the assessment has been completed will decisions be made, with the full participation of the Government of Haiti, on the reconstruction priorities for the country.
	The UK allocated £20 million in humanitarian aid for the emergency response to the earthquake. We expect reconstruction work in Haiti to be led by the UN and funded through multilateral sources, to which the UK is already a significant contributor.

WaterAid: Finance

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department contributed to WaterAid in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) expenditure through all UK civil society organisations can be found in our annual publication 'Statistics on International Development', which is available at
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The relevant figures for WaterAid are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Partnership Programme Agreement  Country and other DFID programmes  Total (£000) 
			 2004-05 1,160 859 2,019 
			 2005-06 1,460 2,045 3,505 
			 2006-07 1,460 2,766 4,226 
			 2007-08 1,256 4,122 5,369 
			 2008-09 1,290 6,164 7,454